Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday attacked the Congress party, alleging that it had, with other parties supported NewsClick, a news media portal famously known for peddling fake stories. According to the Union Minister, when the portal was investigated by Central agencies, the Opposition had jumped to its defence. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, slammed the Congress for supporting the portal, after a New York Times report highlighted Chinese funding to the platform, aimed at spreading Beijing’s propaganda. Addressing a press conference in the capital, Thakur alleged that China had signed an agreement with the Congress party and made payments to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation during the regime of the UPA. The New York Times report stated that one person, identified as Neville Roy Singham, a socialist benefactor of far-left causes, worked closely with the Chinese government media machine to finance propaganda worldwide. The Union Minister said, “Congress, China and NewsClick are all part of an umbilical cord. Chinese products are clearly visible in Rahul Gandhi’s fake ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’. His love for China can be seen. Their purpose was to run an ‘anti-India’ and ‘Break India’ agenda”.
Singham has been associated with the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) propaganda arm of. He reportedly shares offices with a Chinese media company called Maku Group—the company’s goal is to “tell China’s story well.” Maku Group has actively white-washed the CPC’s crimes against the Uyghurs.
The Union Minister further said when the BJP-led Centre was taking action against NewsClick, Opposition parties had supported the platform. “In 2021, we exposed NewsClick as to how foreign propaganda is used against India. But, these Opposition leaders came in support of NewsClick and alleged that the Centre is curbing the freedom of the press.” Thakur said.
In February 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the residences of several individuals—including officials and journalists—associated with NewsClick. Founder and editor-in-chief, Prabir Purkayastha, was also raided in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to foreign funding. The portal had, between 2018 and 2021 received about Rs 28.5 crore—within months of the company’s launch—from what the ED described as “dubious foreign sources”
According to ED officials, the investigation established that part of the money the portal received was routed to Gautam Navlakha, one of the accused with Maosit links in the Elgar Parishad case. The agency also established that Puryakastha was close with Navlakha. Raids at NewsClick unearthed regular email exchanges in connection with the CPC; it was also revealed that NewsClick was paid to defending China›s crackdown on Jack Ma, the country’s role in Africa, amongst others. Several of the journalists associated with NewsClick were also paid large sums.
“We will not allow the ‘Tukde Tukde’ narrative to succeed. This is a war against misinformation and it should continue,” the Union Minister said. Further, Thakur alleged that during the Beijing Olympics 2008, the Congress party signed an agreement with China, under which payments were made to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. “When Rahul and Sonia Gandhi went to China for Beijing Olympics 2008, they signed an agreement under which high-level exchange was to take place. Under their agreement, payment was also made to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. And the agreement was signed by none other than Xi Jinping and Rahul Gandhi,” Thakur said.
“My question is to Congress and all Opposition parties who supported NewsClick when they were spreading anti-India agenda. Today, when a foreign newspaper has exposed its agenda, will it answer to the country? I want to ask where was the money spent by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. What high-level meetings happened with China? Is Congress, NewsClick a part of the anti-India umbilical cord? And, I also want to ask other parties of the arrogant Opposition bloc, what benefits did they accrue?” Thakur said.
Additionally, the portal’s Chinese funding, the secret MOU signed between the Congress and China, as well as Rahul Gandhi’s George Soros connection only raises more questions than answers. Soros had stated that he would be releasing funds to “ensure that BJP does not come to power for a third time”. Rahul Gandhi’s recent foreign trips, as well as his calls for foreign interference India’s democracy further highlights this collusion.
NewsClick’s ties with Congress
• NewsClick has been pro-Congress and have several times attempted to portray the Central government as fascist, without evidence.
• The ED’s raid on NewsClick had been covered by the National Herald (owned by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi) and the portal in turn had reported on the raids on the Herald with much indignation.
• Following the ED raid, the party’s senior spokesperson came out in support of this Chinese propaganda factory.
• The recent Opposition alliance, INDIA has allies which have previously colluded with NewsClick. Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party—which is allied with INDIA—Arvind Kejriwal and jailed Manish Sisodia feature as partners in a NGO that funded the portal.
