Journalist bodies condemn raid on NewsClick, call it attempt to 'muzzle' press freedom

Various organisations, including the Editors Guild of India, condemned the Delhi Police raids on news portal NewsClick and its scribes on Tuesday, with some claiming that it was an attempt to muzzle press freedom.The Editors Guild of India EGI issued a statement saying it was deeply concerned about the raids at the residences of senior journalists early this morning.

Various organisations, including the Editors Guild of India, condemned the Delhi Police raids on news portal NewsClick and its scribes on Tuesday, with some claiming that it was an attempt to ''muzzle'' press freedom.

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) issued a statement saying it was deeply concerned about the raids at the residences of senior journalists early this morning. These raids are yet another attempt to ''muzzle the media'', it said.

''We remind the government of the importance of an independent media in a functioning democracy, and urge it to ensure that the fourth pillar is respected, nurtured and protected,'' the guild said.

''While we recognise that the law must take its course if actual offences are involved, the due process has to be followed. The investigation of specific offences must not create a general atmosphere of intimidation under the shadow of draconian laws, or impinge on the freedom of expression and the raising of dissenting and critical voices,'' it added.

Through a post on 'X', the Press Club of India said it was deeply concerned about the raids. ''We are monitoring the developments and will be releasing a detailed statement. The PCI stands in solidarity with the journalists and demands the government to come out with details,'' it said.

A spontaneous protest meeting was held at the Press Club of India here against the police action. The meeting resolved to continue the protest to defend media freedom.

The Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) demanded that ''this harassment'' of the media by government agencies should stop.

''A vibrant democracy will never remain vibrant if the media is not given the space to analyse government policies independently. Elected democracies have a greater responsibility to ensure that the media operates in an unfettered manner,'' it said in a statement.

The IWPC said the manner in which sections of the media are being repeatedly targeted – because they have raised concerns about certain policies of the government – reflects very poorly on a government representing the world's largest democracy.

The Mumbai Press Club also expressed ''deep concern''. ''The Mumbai Press Club urges for an unbiased investigation and calls upon the Delhi Police to desist from what is perceived as a targeted harassment campaign against these journalists,'' it said on 'X'.

Expressing concerns over the police action on the journalists of the news portal, the DIGIPUB News India Foundation said, ''They have been detained, their phones and laptops seized. This is another instance of the government's pattern of arbitrary and intimidatory behaviour. We are keeping an eye on developments.'' In a separate statement, the National Alliance of Journalists, the Delhi Union of Journalists and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi unit) condemned the police raids.

It said the residences of Bhasha Singh, Urmilesh, Prabir Purkayastha, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Teesta Setalvad, Abhisar Sharma, Aunindyo Chakraborty, Mahesh Kumar, Subodh Varma, Aditi Nigam, Mukund Jha and many others were raided this morning. The statement claimed that several of the media persons were also taken into custody.

The Delhi Police's Special Cell on Tuesday searched 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.

Some journalists, including Urmilesh and Abhishar Sharma, were taken to the Lodhi Road Special Cell office but no one has been arrested so far in the searches concentrated in the Delhi-NCR region, officials said. Founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha was taken to the NewsClick south Delhi office.

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier conducted raids at the firm's premises to probe its sources of funding. The Special Cell is now continuing the searches on the basis of inputs provided by the central agency, the officials said.

The Special Cell has registered a new case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and started an investigation, they said.

Officials in the know said police recovered dump data from laptops and mobile phones of some NewsClick journalists.

''The government has been targeting Newsclick apparently after the coverage this news portal gave to the issues of workers and farmers,'' the statement by the National Alliance of Journalists, the Delhi Union of Journalists and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi Unit) alleged.

''We believe that this is yet another attempt by the Centre to muzzle the freedom of press. Such an action, raiding and intimidating almost all the employees in a media organisation is unheard of,'' it said.

The Newsclick management, the statement noted, has been maintaining that whatever funding they have received was through legal sources and evidence for this has been submitted to the Delhi High Court.

''These new raids are to divert public attention from burning livelihood issues of people ... We condemn this with the strongest possible words. We will stand with these journalists in this matter. We urge the Centre to immediately stop this attack on press freedom...,'' it said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)