Kerala CM condemns Delhi Police action against news portal NewsClick, calls it 'fascist method'

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday termed the Delhi Police action against news portal NewsClick as "objectionable" and a "fascist method" of suppressing dissenting voices.

A day after Delhi Police raided offices and journalists of news portal NewsClick and also arrested two persons, including its founder Prabir Purkayastha, Vijayan said the media in the country was free to gather and publish news fearlessly, independently and honestly and the central government should take measures to ensure it.

The CM, in a statement issued by his office, said the efforts to suppress alternative media, which bring to the fore issues ignored by the mainstream media, are objectionable.

He also asked the central government to seriously consider the criticism from various quarters that the Delhi Police action against NewsClick is a part of such efforts. "Suppressing dissenting voices is a fascist method," he added.

Vijayan also sought that action taken by the Delhi Police be reconsidered.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and the news portal's Human Resources head Amit Chakraborty in connection with a probe into the portal's foreign funding.

The arrests followed the Delhi Police raids at 30 locations connected with the online news portal and its journalists in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda, which the website has repeatedly denied.

Purkayastha and Chakraborty were sent to seven days in police remand on Wednesday.

Various journalist organisations and political parties had on Tuesday condemned the police action against the news portal and had called it an attempt to muzzle the press.

The issue also caused political ripples, with the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Samajwadi Party reacting to the searches and criticising the union government.

Opposition bloc INDIA strongly condemned the raids and said that the BJP government's "coercive" actions are directed only against those who speak truth to power and not against those who spread hatred and divisiveness.