"Probe Agency Is Independent , They Are Doing Their Job": Centre's Response On NewsClick Raid (Image:Twitter/Anurag Thakur)
The Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday responded to the raids that are were conducted by the Delhi police earlier on the day at the houses of several senior journalists and employees linked to the online portal NewClick, alleged of Chinese funding links. Mr Thakur said in support of the agencies who were carrying the probe as they are “independent” to do their jobs.
Mr Thakur, the central minister for Information and Broadcasting and Sports and Youth Affairs, expressed his views on the raid while speaking to the media in Bhubaneswar.
Early on Tuesday morning a special wing of the Delhi police initiated massive raids at the homes of several senior journalist on amidst allegations that the news portal NewsClick had received funding from China. The journalists included Abhisar Sharma, Bhasha Singh, Urmilesh, Prabir Purkaayastha, and Aunindyo Chakravarty. In addition to these journalists, the writer Githa Hariharan, activist and historian Sohail Hashmi, and satirist and stand-up comic Sanjay Rajaura were also subjected to raids.
While answering a question over the raid the minister explained that the probe agencies are following the rules and has the authority and independence to do their job in the most efficient manner.
“The probe agencies are independent and they are doing their jobs by following rules”, Indian Express quoted Mr Thakur. He didn”t justified the raids, but said that “if someone has done something wrong, the probe agencies do their job”.
“It’s nowhere written that probe agencies can’t take action if money has come to you from wrong sources or something objectionable has been done”, the minister added.
Raids, according to India Today, were carried out at over 100 locations in Delhi and the neighbouring areas of Noida and Ghaziabad, and was based on a case filed on August 17, 2023. The case was registered under the anti-terror law of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the online portal NewsClick.
Four Sections under UAPA were charged including,16 – Terrorist Act, 17- Raising funds for terrorist acts, 18-conspiracy, and 22C – Offences by companies. The police raided and seized electronic evidences and took data dumps.
