In a joint statement issued on December 20, the Press Club of India, the Indian Women’s Press Corps, the Delhi Union of Journalists, the Press Association, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, and the Working News Cameraman’s Association objected to the action taken “without any warning”, which had in one stroke deprived close to a hundred media persons and their families of a steady source of income.

“The salaries of all employees, including support staff, cannot be disbursed, including for the 19 days of work in December. This action by the I[-]T department also flouts basic norms of natural justice and labour laws. The portal has maintained that it has always complied with tax regulations and that there was no basis for the I[-]T department to freeze its accounts,” the statement said.

The organisations also said the development came on the heels of “sustained harassment in the form of ED [Enforcement Directorate] raids and I[-]T surveys in 2021 and the arrest of NewsClick’s founder Prabir Purkayastha and Administrative Officer Amit Chakraborty in October this year”.

“Both, Purkayastha and Chakraborty, have been booked under draconian clauses. It has been observed that such arrests of media persons have become the norm rather than the exception. Both continue to be in judicial custody for an indefinite period of time,” they said, adding that another area of concern was the indiscriminate seizure of electronic equipment under the pretext of investigations.

“While other independent media have also suffered such excesses with equipment being seized and confiscated for months altogether, in October, for the first time, electronic equipment like mobile phones and laptops of NewsClick journalists, ex-employees and even contributors was seized in an early morning operation which was unprecedented in itself,” the statement said.

“Many, who are single earners, had to buy new equipment in order to continue working as there was no assurance of their seized equipment being returned in a definite time frame and that too in an untampered state. In addition, the ‘summoning’ and ‘questioning’ for days altogether of NewsClick staff and reporters on the pretext of investigation has been another mode of sustained harassment by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police,” it said.

Further, organisations demanded that the “harassment of the media and media-persons in the form of raids, arrests under non-bailable draconian clauses, freezing of accounts without prior intimation and the seizure of electronic equipment sans any guidelines or parameters should stop forthwith”.

“As such equipment is the lifeline for persons operating in the media space, such seizures effectively target livelihoods. Just as the other pillars of our democracy need to be allowed to function independently, so does the media. An independent media strengthens democracy; demoralising and stifling it will have the opposite effect,” they said.

Related:

SKM: Farmers to protest against union government’s attempt to undermine farmers’ protest through Newsclick FIR 

Newsclick: Resounding voices of solidarity from all over in defence of press freedom

The post Media organisations criticise freezing of NewsClick accounts by I-T Department appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Unchecked powers of the state, often targeted at journalists, are spreading a deleterious chilling effect in society”
– Foundation for Media Professionals,

Petition for framing of guidelines for seizure of electronics

On October 13, it was announced by the Supreme Court that a bench would be hearing a petition seeking issuance for guidelines on the issue of seizure of personal electronic devices by investigative authorities. The said writ petition was brought before the bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia by Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, who had requested for a quick hearing. According to LiveLaw, when mentioning the issue, Advocate Ramakrishnan claimed that he would not need more than 10 minutes to present his case. The Supreme Court bench then stated that the case will be heard on November 2, 2023.

Contents of the Petition:

The plea was filed in 2021. As per a reports in LiveLaw, the petition has been filed by five petitioners who are academicians. The petitioners are former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor and researcher, Ram Ramaswamy; Professor at Savitribai Phule Pune University, Sujata Patel; Professor of Cultural Studies at the English and Foreign Languages University, Madhava Prasad; Professor of Modern Indian history at Jamia Millia Islamia, Mukul Kesavan; and theoretical ecological economist Deepak Malghan.

The petitioners have claimed in the plea filed in the Supreme Court that the investigative authorities have been employing completely unrestrained authority to seize possession of devices holding a citizen’s personal and professional life. the plea highlights the need to impose restrains on the unchecked powers being exerted by such agencies through the order of the Supreme Court.

“The academic community does and stores its research and writing in the electronic or digital medium, and the threat of damage, distortion, loss or premature exposure of academic or literary work in the event of seizure of electronic devices is considerable.,” the petition stated, as per the LiveLaw report.

In this context, the petition sought directions to police and investigative agencies, working under the control of Central and State Governments for specifying guidelines with regards to seizure, examination and preservation of personal digital and electronic devices and their contents thereof.

In this light, the petition urged that the Central and State Governments, which are in charge of police and investigative agencies, be given specific instructions on the employing such legal and tamed practices for the seizure, investigation, and preservation of personal digital and electronic devices and the data they contain.

Through the petition, it has been pleaded that the powers of search and seizure need to be employed with certain safeguards as they can impact and infringe the fundamental rights guaranteed to the citizens of India.

“The powers of search & seizure, particularly because they engage fundamental rights such as the right to privacy, the right against self-incrimination, and the right of protection of privileged communication, ought to be therefore read and supplied with adequate safeguards such that they are not abused to defeat such rights. It is imperative that this Hon’ble Court lays down inviolable guidelines therefore,” as per the LiveLaw report.

The plea also focusses on the aspect of the academic freedom as being a part of right to freedom of speech under Art. 19(1)(a) and also the right to practice a profession or occupation, and thus states:

“Data that is stored digitally by academics – physical scientists and social scientists may have been collected through extensive field work spanning decades or the results of scientific experiments or calculations similarly representing major effort. If these are tampered with or damaged, the loss to research in the sciences and social sciences is considerable and often irreplaceable. A lifetime’s work is life as much as livelihood. Patentable material may exist or work that runs the risk of being plagiarised. Work may also be stored in ‘clouds’, compelled exposure of which carries all of the aforesaid risks as much as the seizure of physical devices,” as per the LiveLaw report.

The plea has majorly placed its reliance on the judgement of KS Puttuswamy v. Union of India. It reads that “It is imperative to now read the provisions of the CrPC relating to search & seizure viz. Sections 91-105 & 165-166 under a new enlightenment offered by the observations in Puttaswamy. In particular, the provisions ought to be read as a restriction on the fundamental right to privacy, thereby placing the onus on the State to demonstrate the reasonableness thereof,“. 

What has happened in regards to this petition till now?

In March 2021, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justice SK Kaul and Justice R Subhash Reddy had issued a notice to the Union of India in the aforementioned plea seeking guidelines for search and seizure of electronic devices.

Pursuant to this, in August 2022, a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh had expressed dissatisfaction with the counter-affidavit filed by the Union Government in response to the petition. Justice Sanjay Kaul had orally observed that it was not enough for the Centre to say that the petition is not maintainable while Justice Sundresh had stated that the devices have the personal contents of people which need to be protected. In regards to this, the bench had asked the Centre to also refer to the international practices and then file a new and fresh reply.

“Saying ‘not maintainable’ is not enough… These (devices) have personal contents and we have to protect this. People live on this,” the supreme court had orally observed, as per a report in the LiveLaw.

On November 11, 2022, the Supreme Court had imposed a cost of Rs. 25,000 on the Union Government for not filing the counter-affidavit.

Pursuant to this, on November 27, 2022, the Centre had filed a reply in which they had stated that blanket orders, to return seized devices which are under investigation, cannot be delivered. As per the centre, while right to privacy is implicit in the concept of individual autonomy and liberty, it is not an absolute right and could be subjected to restrictions based on compelling public interest. The Centre had further stated that uniform guidelines for all law enforcement agencies could only be issued after a wider consultation with all stakeholders, including the States, considering the federal structure and the entries in the 7th schedule.

Is this the only petition seeking framing of guidelines seizure of digital devices?

“They (academicians) have a right to protect their work”
– Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Supreme Court of India

In October 2022, a group of journalists had also filed a petition urging for the framing of detailed guidelines on search and seizure of digital devices. A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices KM Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy had issued notice on the same and had tagged the matter with the aforementioned plea filed by the five academicians.

In the said plea, the petitioners had provided that the petitioners told the court that the seized electronic devices, more often than not, contain personal sensitive data, political views and financial information. The petition had provided that there is no existing regulation on the same, granting unlimited power to the investigative agencies. The plea had also alleged that there is interdepartmental sharing of information that is accessed through their electronic devices.

Notably, the said petition had been moved by the Foundation for Media Professionals, assisted by the Internet Freedom Foundation, urging for framing of guidelines that regulate the police’s power to search or seize electronic devices. The petition had also emphasized that the lack of regulation enables the police to engage in dubious practices such as mandating individuals, with or without reasonable suspicion, to grant access to mobile devices making clones of those devices and sharing the information they obtain with third parties or governmental agencies. These practices violate the right to privacy and the constitutional guarantee against self-incrimination.

Recent incidents of seizure of electronic devices belonging to journalists:

“If this is not surveillance, what is?”
– Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Consultant for Newsclick who was detained for hours and questioned

On October 3, the special cell of Delhi Police had conducted simultaneous raids at a total of 88 locations across 5 cities as a part of the crackdown on Newsclick, a news portal, and its associated journalists, as per a report of the Wire.  As part of the raids, the police had also seized dozens of mobiles, laptops and hard disks belonging to employees and the organisation. As per an article by the Newsclick, the journalist whose electronics have been seized have not been given any clarity regarding the timeline following which their devices will be returned. It has also been alleged that the seizure of electronics was conducted in most cases without any adherence to due process or security measures, such as the provision of seizure memos, hash values of the seized data, or even copies of the data.

It is essential to note here that pursuant to the raids and seizure of electronic devices, a group of media organizations had written to the Chief Justice of India emphasizing upon the need for guidelines on seizure of electronic devices of journalists.

Past incident of arbitrary seizure of electronics belonging to journalists:

“Protection of journalistic sources is one of the basic conditions for the freedom of the press. Without such protection, sources may be deterred from assisting the press in informing the public on matters of public interest.”
–  Supreme Court of India

In the year 2022, during the month of November, police had raided the office of digital publication The Wire, and the homes of three of its editors based on a complaint filed by a politician of the ruling party. The police had also seized their mobile phones and laptops. It had taken nearly one year for Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor of The Wire, to get a court order that provided for the return of the devices that had been seized. According to a forensic analysis by Amnesty International, Siddharth Varadarajan is one of those whose phone had been targeted with Pegasus, a military grade software, in April 2018. It is essential to note that a total of 18 electronic devices and six sim cards had been seized by the police in the said raid, as per a report of Newslaundary.

In the recent years, there has been a surge in the cases of surveillance in India. As per a report of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, dozens of lawyers, activists and journalists were targeted with Pegasus spyware.

In June 2022, the Gujarat ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad) had raided the Mumbai house of human rights defender, author and journalist Teesta Setalvad and had, without any warrant, seized her two phones. Along with her phones, the Gujarat ATS had also seized a phone that belonged to an office colleague of hers. Even after over a year, the three devices have not yet been returned. It is also essential to note that the Mumbai residence of Teesta Setalvad was also raided by the police as a part of the crackdown on Newsclick.

In fact in June 2022, when Mohammed Zubair was being remanded to a four-day police custody, the chief metropolitan magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria had noted that the journalist has not cooperated with the investigation agencies and issued an order for the police to retrieve the electronic devices – a mobile and a laptop – he had used to post a purportedly offensive tweet. Senior Advocate Vrinda Grover, who was representing Zubair, had raised an objection to the police seizing the journalist’s devices. She had argued that the police already had Zubair’s current phone. Further, she said that a journalist’s laptop, similar to a lawyer, has “sensitive material related to their work” along with personal information. This, she had said, was an attempt to “conduct a fishing inquiry” beyond the scope of the present case. However, the court ordered the police to take custody of Zubair’s electronic devices without explicitly commenting on this argument.

In August 2018, in a case concerning Bhima Koregoan violence, Pune police had conducted raids on the homes of eight activists across India as well as on the homes of the two journalists, namely KV Kurmanath and Kranti Tukula. During the same, the police had seized the electronic devices of the journalists.

The Committee to Protect Journalists had released a statement condemning the raids as well as the arbitrary seizure of electronic devices. The had stated “The indiscriminate seizure by police of electronics with notes and recordings of journalists KV Kurmanath and Kranti Tukula amounts to a serious assault on freedom of the press. These devices should be returned immediately intact.”

An attack on Journalism- a constant fear looms:

Instances such as the simultaneous raids reminds individuals, working to being out the truth, that they can come under the scanner of the government which could lead to self-censorship. In the current scenario, where calculated efforts are being made to suppress any criticism and dissent, it is important that safeguards by the Courts are put in place.

It is pertinent to emphasize the unique, sensitive, and susceptible characteristics of digital evidence, as opposed to any other evidence presented at trial, here considering the digital era that we are living in. At present, there are no legislations or regulations put in place that address the issue of regulating search, seizure, and admissibility of electronic evidence. Even when the electronic devices are seized, there are no established norms that the police and investigative agencies have to adhere to which compels them to stick to a timeline and return the electronic devices arbitrarily seized. The absence of legal frameworks has deemed these illegal seizures of electronic devices to be nothing more than an irregularity.

A deep analysis into the lack of legal protection from seizure of electronic devices can be read here.

Investigative agencies frequently examine and take records without proving probable cause, requirement, necessity or proportionality, as evidenced by the cases highlighted above. The void that exists in terms of protecting lawyers from disclosure of electronic devices have become a tool in the hands of the investigating agencies, and has led to a miscarriage of justice. It is pertinent that the Supreme Court of India protects its citizens from the abuse of law and strict legislations controlling the power of the police of search and seizure are put in place.

Related:

Rules for seizure of electronic devices by Police: A Need of the hour

Raids on Wire editors & seizure of electronic devices did not follow law & procedure: PUCL

Prosecution Cannot Force an Accused to Divulge Password of Electronic Device: CBI Court

Handling of electronic evidence by agencies a perversion of criminal justice: CCG

Revealing the password of your device to the police amounts to self-incrimination?

The post Supreme Court to hear petition on arbitrary seizure of electronics this November appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The FIR against Newsclick provides that the Farmers’ Movement was to “disrupt supplies and services essential to the life of community in India, abet damage and destruction of property, cause huge loss to the Indian economy and create internal law and order problems, through illegal foreign funding.” Notable, as per multiple media reports, even during interrogation, the journalists had been asked by the police whether they had covered the farmers’ protest of 2020. Rejecting these allegations, the statement highlights that the farmers had participated in peaceful protests for 13 months in exercise of their fundamental rights. As per the press release, the protest were a ‘spontaneous expression of high degree of nationalism’ to the ‘three black farm laws that aimed to establish legal control of corporates over cropping pattern through contract farming, over mandis, food processing and food distribution through the Mandi Act and modifications in the Essential Commodities Act and to do away with Govt. procurement, price support and PDS Ration security’

The statement rather emphasized the role that the ruling government played in oppressing the democratic rights of the farmers, by using violent excessive force as well as blocking and digging up roads. On the accusation that the farmers’ protest created a law and order situation. the statement provided that ‘It is the Union Govt. and BJP-RSS combine that created law and order problems by mowing down farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri under running vehicles, killing four farmers and one journalist. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and his son were behind this attack. Till now the Prime Minister has not removed the delinquent Minister and ensured legal action against the culprits. 735 farmers including Lakhimpur Kheri farmers had to sacrifice their lives to counter the repression by Modi Government.’

Furthermore, the statement also addresses the allegation that the farmers’ movement was illegal and foreign funded by stating that ‘Funds from China have been received by PM Modi in PM Care Fund and Gautam Adani in his business. The Farmers’ Movement succeeded, overcoming enormous hardship and with great sacrifice of the farmers. To belittle such sacrifice by alleging that the movement was foreign funded and acts of terrorism, betrays the arrogance, ignorance and anti-people mind-set of the Govt.’

The SKM denounced the suppress the dissenting voices as well as create an anti-farmer narrative and expressed their solidarity ‘with Newsclick and all sections of the independent media and reiterates that it shall support all classes of citizens in ensuring that their rights are not trampled upon by this Govt.’ While there is no set date provided in the statement regarding the protests, it has been asserted that delegations of the SKM leaders with be submitting deputations with the Prime Minister and the other ministers of the union government to withdraw the allegations raised the farmers’ movement. In case of a failure to withdraw the allegation, the SKM will hold demonstrations and protests in every corner of the country as well as sit-in protests outside the offices of authorities.

The complete press statement is as follows:

Samyukt Kisan Morcha

Press Statement | 8th October, 2023

SKM TO LAUNCH NATIONWIDE MASS PROTESTS AGAINST BJP-RSS LED MODI GOVT. FOR ITS RENEWED ATTACK ON FARMERS’ MOVEMENT THROUGH NEWSCLICK FIR

Delhi, 8th October, 2023: Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is shocked to learn about the scurrilous and malafide allegations made against the historic SKM-led Farmers’ Movement at Delhi, in the FIR lodged by Special Cell of the Delhi Police against media house Newsclick and several journalists. SKM categorically rejects all allegations made in the FIR against the Farmers’ Movement, the same being false and motivated, and unequivocally places on record that:

1) SKM rejects the patently false and mischievous allegations in the FIR that the Farmers’ Movement was to “disrupt supplies and services essential to the life of community in India, abet damage and destruction of property, cause huge loss to the Indian economy and create internal law and order problems, through illegal foreign funding”. Farmers, the annadatas of the nation, participated in a peaceful protest led by the SKM against the anti-farmer and pro-corporate laws and policies of the BJP Govt. No supply was disrupted by the farmers. No property was damaged by the farmers. No loss to the economy was caused by farmers. No law and order problem was created by the farmers. By violently stopping the farmers from exercising their democratic right of reaching the nation’s capital, through barbed wire fencing, water cannons, lathi charge and digging up roads, it is the Union Govt. that caused great inconvenience to the people of the nation and the farmers. Farmers had to sit in protest for 13 long months, under the blazing summer sun, torrential rains and freezing winter cold. It is the Union Govt. and BJP-RSS combine that created law and order problems by mowing down farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri under running vehicles, killing four farmers and one journalist. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and his son were behind this attack. Till now the Prime Minister has not removed the delinquent Minister and ensured legal action against the culprits. 735 farmers including Lakhimpur Kheri farmers had to sacrifice their lives to counter the repression by Modi Government. It is the Govt. that destroyed public property. It is the Govt. that conspired with crony capitalists to grab and capture food production and supply chains, destroying food security of the people and economy of the nation. Funds from China have been received by PM Modi in PM Care Fund and Gautam Adani in his business. The Farmers’ Movement succeeded, overcoming enormous hardship and with great sacrifice of the farmers. To belittle such sacrifice by alleging that the movement was foreign funded and acts of terrorism, betrays the arrogance, ignorance and anti-people mind-set of the Govt.

2) SKM strongly denounces attempt by the BJP led Union Govt. to underplay the importance of the immensely patriotic and historic Farmers’ Movement which was against this Govt’s attempt to hand over Indian farming to big corporates including foreign exploiters. It is pertinent to mention that the 3 black farm laws tried to establish legal control of corporates over cropping pattern through contract farming, over mandis, food processing and food distribution through the Mandi Act and modifications in the Essential Commodities Act and to do away with Govt. procurement, price support and PDS Ration security. That is why the laws were anti-people and unpatriotic while the Farmers’ Movement was a spontaneous expression of high degree of nationalism. This FIR is a crafty and nefarious plan to portray the Farmers’ Movement as funded by some extraneous sources, a ploy firmly rejected by the Farmers’ Movement during the course of the Movement, and before which the Modi led BKP-RSS Govt had been forced to surrender its fabricated claims. Indian farming not only provides for food security to 142 crore people, it provides subsistence to 90 crore rural folk, the importance of which was seen by all during the Corona pandemic.

3) Since Delhi Police is under the control of the Union Govt. and commanded by known anti-farmer leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, it is not surprising that false allegations have been made against the Farmers’ Movement, though the extent of the falsehood is astounding.

4) SKM understands that the BJP led Union Govt., still smarting from the humiliation of having to roll-back the 3 black farm laws in the face of the determined, democratic and peaceful agitation of farmers at the borders of Delhi from November 2020 to December 2021, will continuously try to take revenge against farmers by tainting the Farmers’ Movement and building an anti-farmer narrative.

While the SKM, through its constituent organisations, has already expressed solidarity with independent media houses like Newsclick and scores of journalists who have the courage to write and publish the truth about this anti-people BJP led Union Govt. and denounced the nefarious attempts of the Govt. to muzzle and choke their voices through false cases and arrests by illegal misuse of state machinery and power, the SKM once again expresses solidarity with Newsclick and all sections of the independent media and reiterates that it shall support all classes of citizens in ensuring that their rights are not trampled upon by this Govt.

SKM announces nationwide mass protests against this BJP led Union Govt for its renewed attack on the Farmers’ Movement through the Newsclick FIR. Every state capital, district head quarter, tehsil head quarter shall see mass protest gatherings demanding immediate withdrawal of the false and scurrilous allegations made against the Farmers’ Movement in the Newsclick FIR. Deputations shall be submitted by delegations of the SKM leaders to the President of India, Prime Minster, Union Home Minister, Union Agriculture Minister and Commissioner of Delhi Police to immediately withdraw all allegations against the Farmers’ Movement, failing which sit-in protests and demonstrations shall be held at the offices of all authorities.

Related:

Newsclick: Resounding voices of solidarity from all over in defence of press freedom

Food Price Spike: How Farmers’ Protest Saved the Country

Attacks on farmers by Punjab & Haryana govts, censorship of Gaon Savvera part of a pattern

Haryana’s farmers’ Mahapanchayat: Fostering unity across communities, vowing for communal harmony

Recognising fair compensation for farmers land is a non-negotiable human right: Bombay HC

Farmers to hold countrywide demonstrations in support of women wrestlers: SKM

The post SKM: Farmers to protest against union government’s attempt to undermine farmers’ protest through Newsclick FIR  appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Pursuant to the raids and sealing of the Newsclick office, on October 4, a statement was released by Newsclick wherein they firmly condemned the action undertaken by the Government “that refuses to respect journalistic independence, and treats criticism as sedition or “anti-national” propaganda.” They provided that no FIR has been submitted to them and the electronic devices seized from the houses of journalists without any adherence to law.

The complete statement can be read here.

A copy of the FIR was supplied to the Newsclick on October 5 on the order of the Delhi Court.

Since the news of massive searches surfaced multiple protests have been organised and statements of solidarity have been extended. Students, journalists, media organisations, politicians, etc. spanning across the length and breadth of the country expressed their anguish and surprise at the crackdown, and took to streets and social media to show camaraderie with the ones that were (and still are) targetted. For those protesting, the searches were clearly aimed at suppressing dissent and controlling the remaining independent media houses that are critical of the Modi government.

1. Protest at Jantar Mantar

On October 4, a protest was called by All India Students’ Association (AISA) at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The said protest saw the participation of a large group of civil society members- journalists, students and citizens. Protestors could be seen carrying banners at the protest, bearing the messages “We will neither bend nor crawl”, “Release Prabir Purkayastha” and “Stop attack on press freedom”. As per reports, the said protest saw the participation of more than 500 people.

Shabnam Hashmi, sister of historian Sohail Hashmi whose house was also raided by the Delhi Police was quoted by the Print as saying, “These attempts will not deter us from standing for what is right.”

Furthermore, Neha, secretary of the AISA’s Delhi unit, had addressed the protest gathering and stated that “This is a blatant attack on the democratic values of India. The government is targeting the journalists who raised their voice in support of the farmers’ issue. We condemn this attack on press freedom in the country.” She had further called for a citizens’ collective effort to fight back against the illegal police action.

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2. Protest outside the Press Club of India

On October 4, several journalists expressed their angst and protested at the office of Press Club of India to show solidarity. The said protest saw the participation of Journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, who was himself interrogated as a part of the raids for being a contributor at Newsclick, MK Venu, Siddharth Varadarajan, author Ramchandra Guha, Mukul Kesavan and author Arundhati Roy. The protesting journalists had held banners demanding press freedom and end to misuse of anti-terror laws against independent and free thinking journalist.

Journalist Thakurta had also shared his experience with the questioning and behaviour of the police. “The entire staff of Delhi’s Special Cell asked me a set of many questions. However, their behaviour was very decent. They asked me if I needed tea and ordered lunch for me as well. As for the two — Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty —who have been arrested, I feel the police also behave in a decent way with them,” Thakurta said, as per a report of the New Indian Express.

 Protest outside the NYT office in New York

A protest was held in New York, USA in front of the NYT offices to extend support to Newsclick and journalists under attack. The solidarity protest also voiced their anger against the New York Times (NYT) which had published an ‘investigative piece’ in August, alleging NewsClick received funding from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which had formed the basis of the police action. The protestors could be seen carrying yellow placards that read “NYT lies leads to Modi’s crimes against the Press”, “Stop NYT Slander against anti-war voices”, and “Hands off NewsClick and independent media.” The protestors also called out the Modi government’s stance against press freedom.

A video from the protest can be viewed here:

Hands off NewsClick!

A recent New York Times hit piece smeared leading Indian progressive outlet @newsclickin as part of a “Chinese propaganda network”. This week the Modi gov’t cited this pretext for mass raids & arrest of journalists — we protested outside the NYT in response! pic.twitter.com/BsOyWJzagJ

— Party for Socialism and Liberation (@pslnational) October 4, 2023

4. Protest at Kolkata Press Club

On October 5, a solidarity protest was called by the Kolkata Press Club wherein hundreds of journalists had gathered. As per media reports, the protesting journalists had taken out a rally from the Press Club premises to the Gandhi Statue. The protesting journalist could be seen donning black badges and carrying placards saying, “Journalists are not terrorists”, “Defend press freedom”, etc.

Participating in the protest were renowned members of the media fraternity such as veteran journalist Rantideb Sengupta, Subhasish Maitra, ALTnews founder Pratik Sinha, senior journalist Monideepa Banerjee (former regional director of NDTV), Calcutta Journalists Club president Prantik Sen, associate editor of Bengali daily, Ganashakti, Atanu Saha, Press Club Kolkata president Snehasish Sur and secretary, Kingshuk Pramanik.

5. Protest at Freedom Park, Bangalore

A protest was held at the Freedom Park, Bangalore which saw the participation of several prominent citizens and civil society organisations. Journalists and lawyers had led the protest. Arvind Narrain, president of the Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Karnataka, was also a part of the said protest and had pointed out that the recent raids and arrests mirror those that marked the beginning of the Emergency of 1975-77.

6. Candlelight Vigil at Mumbai Press Club

Various media organisations in Mumbai came together to hold a candlelight vigil in solidarity with the NewsClick journalists on October 5 within the premises of the Mumbai Press Club. The event was backed by the Mumbai Press Club, Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, TV Journalists Association, Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists, Bombay News Photographers Association, and Mantralaya Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh.

The participating protesting media organisations expressed their collective concern and emphasised the need for an impartial investigation into the allegations. They also called upon the authorities and the Delhi Police to cease actions perceived as a targeted campaign of harassment against these journalists.

Journalists in Mumbai protests against the BJP centre govt & its police coercive actions against journalists under draconian law. Journalists condemned the Delhi police act of seizing the mobile phones and laptops of the journalists. pic.twitter.com/cogix7O0B0

— Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) October 5, 2023

Speaking at the protest, senior journalist Nikhil Wagle compared the current crackdown on independent dissenting voices to the ones that took place during the emergency.

Senior Marathi journalist Nikhil Wagle (@waglenikhil) condemns crackdown on journalists by #Modi govt and compares it to the “declared emergency in 1984” #NewsClick #Mumbai. #JournalismIsNotACrime pic.twitter.com/vt3oJNCIBS

— Anmol Alphonso (@AnmolAlphonso) October 5, 2023

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7. Protest by journalists in Hyderabad

On October 5, a protest march was held by the Indian Journalists Union in Hyderabad to condemn the raids. The protest began at Desoddharaka Bhavan in Basheerbagh and ended near the Ambedkar statue near Tankbund.

Journalists protest rally in #Hyderabad against #DelhiPolice oppression raids on #NewsClick in #Delhi ##NewsClickRaided @MahtabNama @ShabnamHashmi pic.twitter.com/WnLCaQxkvr

— Mubashir.Khurram (@infomubashir) October 5, 2023

8. Demonstration and reading of a memorandum to the PM in Indore

On October 5, a demonstration against the attack on journalists was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh wherein around 50 people assembled in front of the commissioner’s office near Gandhi Hall. The protest began with exhortation of slogans and display of posters denouncing the abusive police action and led to the crowd marching gathering at the entrance of the commissioner’s building.  On behalf of the organizers, Vineet Tiwari (National Secretary, Progressive Writers’ Association) read out the memorandum of the protest addressed to the Prime Minister which had raised questions regarding the harassment of journalists by authorities, the allegations of terrorism and anti-nationalism levied against Newsclick and the erosion of fundamental rights.

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Many conscientious citizens, intellectuals, artists, journalists associations – both nationally and internationally have also come out in solidarity with newsclick.

9. Statement by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and international support

On October 3, the CPJ had called for the immediate release of arrested Prabir Purkayastha. The international organisation had also asked the Indian authorities to “stop trying to intimidate journalists through tactics such as Tuesday’s police raids on the Delhi office of Indian news website NewsClick and the homes of at least 12 staff and journalists with ties to the outlet.”

Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, also stated that “This is the latest attack on press freedom in India. We urge the Indian government to immediately cease these actions as journalists must be allowed to work without fear of intimidation or reprisal.”

As per The Hindu, a similar statement was also issued by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia, urging the authorities to respect the fundamental rights of journalists and uphold the principles of press freedom and freedom of expression as per the Indian Constitution.

On October 4, 2023, the Office of the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights had also expressed serious concern over the ongoing assault on media freedom in India and the detention of journalists, saying, “Our office is troubled by reports of raids, arrests and detentions, and seizures of property of journalists in Delhi yesterday (Tuesday).”

As per a report of the Wire, the spokesperson in the office of the Human Rights Commissioner had said: “We have previously expressed concern about the shrinking of civic space in India, in particular for independent journalists and activists, and yesterday’s events may have a further chilling effect.”

10. Students of Columbia School of Journalism speak out

On October 5, the students of Columbia Journalism School also issued a statement condemning the persecution of journalists in India. In their statement, they highlighted the falling position that India holds in the Freedom Press Index and the worrying trend of using anti-terror laws against journalists to silence the truth.

11. Statement by Amnesty International India

Aakar Patel, chair of board at Amnesty International India, also issued a statement on consistent targeting of Newsclick and the recent raids. He said “Journalism is not a crime. The NewsClick raids and the arrest of Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty are the latest attempts by the Indian government to decimate independent and critical media. Authorities must immediately release Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty and allow them to carry out their work without any reprisals.”

In his statement, Patel further highlighted the grave attack on human rights by employment of UAPA, a draconian law which violates fair trial rights with impunity, and urged for the immediate release of journalists detained on trumped-up or politically motivated charges and solely for their critical reporting.

12. Statement by the Press Club of India, the Editors Guild of India and other news organisations and associations of jo

The Press Club of India (PCI) and the Editors Guild of India (EGI) issued statements expressing solidarity with the journalists being questioned and arrested in the Newsclick case. have urged the government to provide details.

The EGI had issued a statement stating that it was deeply concerned about the raids at the residences of senior journalists. The organisation had called the said raids to be an attempt to muzzle the media. “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. 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,” the guild had said.

The PCI had expressed their deep concern regarding the raids by taking to ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) and stated “The PCI stand in solidarity with the journalists and demand the government to come out with details.”

The Press Club of India is deeply concerned about the multiple raids conducted on the houses of journalists and writers associated with #Newsclick.

We are monitoring the developments and will be releasing a detailed statement.

— Press Club of India (@PCITweets) October 3, 2023

A statement was also released by the Indian Women’s Press Corps on social media through which they had expressed outrage and argued that the repeated targeting of certain media outlets for their criticism of government policies that are not people-friendly reflects poorly on a government that represents the world’s largest democracy.

We at @IWPC express strong outrage at the targeting of our members and other journalists.

We stand in solidarity with them and demand they be released and harassment stopped pic.twitter.com/2rPWyje765

— Indian Women’s Press Corps (@iwpcdelhi) October 3, 2023

The National Alliance of Journalists, the Delhi Union of Journalists, and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi Unit) had also issued statements condemning the act of the Delhi police, emphasising the far-reaching impact that such raids will have on press freedom. Furthermore, the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) had demanded that usage of stringent anti-terror laws such as the UAPA indiscriminately to target journalists should be prohibited.

A joint statement was also issued by ten independent media organisations of West Bengal wherein they had highlighted the abuse of law against journalists, using spywares as well as increasing raids by government agencies like ED and the CBI to harass journalists.

Ten independent media organisations of West Bengal come together to support #NewsClick and attacked independent journalists pic.twitter.com/uL9Qy8gVOy

— Nagorik.net (@netnagorik) October 4, 2023

The Press Club of Bangalore in a statement said that it was deeply concerned over the raids by the Delhi police on the residences of journalists. “The Press Club of Bangalore urges for an unbiased and fast-tracked investigation in the matter while pushing for all authorities to uphold the freedom of press,” it had said.

13. Renowned intellectuals speak out

On October 5, a joint statement was issued by renowned writers and activists, including International Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree, Ramon Magsaysay Award winners P. Sainath and Aruna Roy, writers K.R. Meera, Perumal Murugan, Ramachandra Guha and V. Geetha, and singer T.M. Krishna. Through the statement, they condemned the Delhi Police’s UAPA case and action against the editor, staff members and contributors of Newsclick. in their statement, they have emphasised that “criticism is essential for a democracy and any attempt to mute voices is an assault on India’s democratic spirit.”

An open letter renouncing the employment of repressive tactics by the Indian government, issued by the International media outlet Peoples Dispatch, was signed by over 300 journalists, political leaders, artists, academics, and progressive activists from around the world. The statement provided that “NewsClick is exactly the kind of media outlet which strengthens a democracy, shining a light and giving a voice to those marginalized and silenced sectors of society which clamor for dignity and change.”

14. Statement by political parties and leaders.

In a joint statement, the INDIA alliance, a coalition of 28 opposition political parties, expressed their dismay over the raids conducted and  alleged that the Narendra Modi government has persecuted the media over the past nine years by using investigative agencies against them. As reported by the Hindu, the coalition had said, “The coercive actions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government are directed against only those media organisations and journalists that speak truth to power.”

The statement can be accessed here:

INDIA stands against any form of intimidation or silencing of journalistic voices. We are on the side of democracy, not dictatorship.

This is nothing but yet another distraction from the most important question in India today – of a nationwide caste census. pic.twitter.com/FG1UWXWbrT

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) October 3, 2023

Many leaders of the opposition parties have also been putting out separate posts on social media to show their continuous support with the journalists and defending their rights.

On October 5, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also pointed finger at the Delhi Police and called the raids “unfortunate and a disgrace to democracy and traditions of freedom”

“Freedom of the press is fundamental to any democracy…In our country, we have a very long record of Supreme Court judgments upholding the freedom of the press in our country. I believe the government erred. If there is a charge of foreign funding that is illegal or improper, there are right ways to investigate it. But confiscating journalists’ laptops and depriving them of access is not right,” Tharoor told the media.

The video of Tharoor addressing the media can be viewed here:

#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: On Delhi Police conducting raids at different premises linked to #NewsClick, #Congress MP #ShashiTharoor says, “Freedom of the press is fundamental to any democracy…What happened yesterday was not only unfortunate, it was a disgrace to our… pic.twitter.com/XkAJshrNjc

— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) October 5, 2023

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted his condemnation

Condemn the efforts to stifle alternative media that highlight issues sidelined by mainstream media. Criticism of Delhi Police’s moves against @newsclickin should be taken seriously. Silencing opposing voices is a fascist tendency. GoI should uphold the freedom of media to…

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) October 4, 2023

15. Joint letter addressed to the Chief Justice of India by Digipub

On October 4, a letter was addressed to the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, requesting for judicial intervention to “put an end to the increasingly repressive use of investigating agencies against the media”.

“During your time at the Supreme Court, you have seen how on numerous occasions, the country’s investigating agencies have been misused and weaponised against the press,” the letter said. “Sedition and terrorism cases have been filed against editors and reporters, and multiple, sequential and/or frivolous FIRs have been used as an instrument of harassment against journalists.”

The letter urged for the courts to consider three points: the framing of norms to discourage the seizure of journalists’ devices; guidelines for seizures and the interrogation of journalists; and finding ways to ensure accountability of state agencies. Through the letter, the media organisations also highlighted that these raids are an attack against the democratic structure of our country and its fourth pillar by stating that “…ad hoc, sweeping seizures and interrogations surely cannot be considered acceptable in any democratic country.”

Notably, the said letter was signed by a coalition of 24 media organisations, including the Press Club of India, Digipub News India foundation, The Indian Women’s Press Co., Foundation for Media Professionals, Chandigarh Press Club, Kerala Union of Journalists, among others.

Letter from the media to D.Y. Chandrachud, Chief Justice of India, on the Delhi police raids at the homes of journalists and seizure of devices.

“…ad hoc, sweeping seizures and interrogations surely cannot be considered acceptable in any democratic country.” pic.twitter.com/AY1idO1Oao

— DIGIPUB News India Foundation (@DigipubIndia) October 4, 2023

16. Statement by the PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties)

On October 3, a statement was released by the PUCL condemning the raids as well as shocking usage of draconian terror sections against journalists. The statement highlighted that the raids have been carried out by the Delhi police “in order to influence public opinion and the court” as the 2021 cases of ED against the news portal and its founder were listed to be heard by the Delhi High Court after a week.

Additionally, the PUCL deemed the police action to be “nothing other than an egregious abuse of state power utilized to build a fairy tale narrative that Chinese money was being used by the raided journalists and media professionals for purposes of terrorism!”

The complete statement can be read here.

17. Statement by the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD)

On October 4, the NPRD released a statement strongly condemning the raids against Newsclick as well as the arrest of Amit Chakravarthi, who is a polio survivor and person with disability using crutches. In their statement, the international commitments of India to protect people with disabilities from inhumane treatment and torture was emphasised upon. The NPRD urged the authorities to make all reasonable accommodations for Amit Chakravarti while he remained in custody and take care of his accessibility needs. The statement, signed by general secretary Muralidharan, also said that the portal has been consistently championing the cause of the marginalised sections, including disabled people.

NPRD statement demanding #reasonableaccommodation for #disabled #polio survivor Amit Chakravarti of @newsclickin covered in @thewire_in https://t.co/hvQe3NEEkZ @armanaly @ncpedp_india @drag_org @vjayakumar @DisabilityIndia @SNAMBURAJAN @handicareindia @AmbikaPanditTOI

— National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (@NPRD_IN) October 5, 2023

18. Statement by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR)

On October 5, a strongly-worded statement was released by the CASR condemned the raids against Newclick journalists, associated activists and NIA raids all over the country in the name of national security as well as the arrests made after these raids. CASR’s statement painted a concerning picture of the broader repression occurring across India. The CASR also demanded for the immediate end to the raids and for the immediate release of all political prisoners arrested after these raids. They also urged all democratic organizations and activists to come together in a united struggle against ‘Brahmanical Hindutva fascism’.

19. Memorandum submitted to Delhi Police Commissioner by National Union of Journalists (India)

On October 5, under the leadership of NUJI President Rash Bihari, a delegation of journalists submitted a memorandum to Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to ensure that there is a fair investigation and that no journalists are misbehaved with by the police during interrogation. Notably, the NUJI is affiliated with the International Federation of Journalists. It was also asserted by the NUJI that it has always been in favor of independent, impartial and transparent journalism and strict action must be taken against anyone that is producing fake news, but no innocent journalist should be put behind bars.

20. Press Release by the All Indian Kisan Sabha (AIKS)

On October 5, the AIKS released a statement strongly criticizing the fascistic assault on NewsClick and other independent media organisations who are critical of the Narendra Modi led BJP regime. The statement provided that “The hounding of NewsClick based on false allegations is part of a larger design by the Modi regime to eliminate all forms of dissent. It is a blatant attack on press freedom.”

The AIKS highlighted the tireless role that the news click played in covering the stories of Farmer’s protest against the three farm laws, the killing of the dairy farmers by cow vigilantes, the role of the Sangh parivar in delhi riots, depicting “Newslick’s journalistic integrity and commitment to the masses”. An appeals was also made by the AIKS to the Indian peasantry “to intensify their struggles and align with democratic forces to fight this undeclared emergency.”

The complete statement can be read here.

There are reports of multiple protests from across India even as this piece is being published.

Related:

What is behind the synchronised Income Tax “survey” at NewsClick, Newslaundry? 

113 hours raiding multiple locations, it is still not clear why the ED is investigations Newsclick

ED Raids & NewsClick: Weaponising law by Criminalising Free Speech

85 hours and counting: Raid continues at NewsClick, editor’s health deteriorates

ED questioning of NewsClick Founder continues, while staff’s electronic gadgets seized

Truth shall prevail, have full faith in legal system: Newsclick

The post Newsclick: Resounding voices of solidarity from all over in defence of press freedom appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On Ganesh Chaturthi, when many offices across India were closed as celebrations began to revere the elephant-headed god who is said to be the remover of obstacles, teams of the Income Tax (IT) department were hard at work. Making the news were two IT raids, or ‘surveys’ as the department has termed their visit to the in south Delhi offices of the news portals NewsClick and Newslaundry. 

According to news reports, that confirmed the ‘surveys’ the IT visits were to investigate “allegations of tax evasion”, officials told the media that “the account books of the portals are being examined”. Soon after the news broke on social media, the media fraternity confirmed that they could not reach those inside those offices while the Income Tax officers were there. Later some employees shared on conditions of anonymity that the IT team reached the offices before noon and stayed there for hours. The employees in the office were reportedly told not to use their cell phones.

This is not the first such visit by a central agency for NewsClick, whose premises and the homes of its founders were raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in February. That raid, which lasted for hours on end, was a part of an investigation in a money laundering case. However, it is for the second time that Newslaundry has been ‘surveyed’ in this manner. Founder Abhinandan Sekhri issued a statement after the September 10 Income Tax visit was over.  

He stated that the Income Tax department conducted the “survey” under section 133 A as per the document shown to him. They left around 12:40 A.M on September 11. Sekhri said he was told he cannot speak to his lawyer and was told to hand over his phone. “The team consisting of six or seven people was courteous and professional. I was told the law requires me to comply without seeking legal advice. They searched and looked through all computer devices at the premises. My personal mobile phone, laptop and a couple of office machines were taken control of and all the data on them downloaded by the IT team. In my understanding this (taking all data from my personal laptop and mobile phone) violates my fundamental right to privacy. No signed hash value of the data copied was provided to me,” said Sekhri.

Sekhri said this IT team had visited the NL office, first in June. “We had cooperated with them then too. We have nothing to hide and have done everything by the book and are not in any breach or violation of any law. We conduct our business honestly and with integrity. We have in the past given the IT authorities all documents related to our funding and accounts. We will cooperate in whatever way we are required to by law. We will also continue to practice public interest journalism which is why we exist. Our support comes from people who value public interest news and choose to subscribe to Newslaundry, not through government or corporate advertisements or PR exercises. We are proud of the model we chose and championed,” said Sekhri.

Thanks again for your support. My statement is below. You can support us herehttps://t.co/lefMXTG3xw
Please spread the message. ?? pic.twitter.com/YCDni2AIKi

— Abhinandan Sekhri (@AbhinandanSekhr) September 11, 2021

After ED raids, Newsclick gets IT ‘surveyed’

Newsclick Editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha also issued a statement on the Income Tax Department ‘Survey’ of its Office. This “survey” at the Newsclick office was also conducted from 12 noon to midnight, under Section 133A of the Income Tax Act. The IT team recorded Prabir Purkayastha’s statement, “impounded his phone; and took away documents – what they called “loose papers” from the premises. They also took email dumps of Prabir, editor Pranjal, and various administrative and financial accounts related to Newsclick. Around 30 employees and support staff of Newsclick were in the office throughout the “survey”. Their phones were temporarily seized, and they were not allowed to use their computers and work.”  

This, recalled Purkayastha, was not the first time they have been “targeted by government agencies” adding that “the offices of Newsclick, as well as the residences of Prabir Purkayastha and other persons associated with us, were also raided earlier this year by the Enforcement Directorate. Newsclick has cooperated with the investigations by the Enforcement Directorate and Economic Offences Wing, and handed over all the documents they have asked for from time to time. Income Tax officials interrogated Prabir and Pranjal in June, and again, Newsclick provided the necessary documents.”

The news portal stated that the raid yesterday “appears to relate to the same false and unfounded allegations being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police. We have these allegations challenged in the Courts” and added that the “investigations by various agencies, and these selective allegations, are attempts to stifle the independent journalism of media organisations – including Newsclick. The Constitution of India under Article 19(1)(a) guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression, a right central to our work.”
 

Editors Guild of India takes note

The Editors Guild of India has put on record that it is deeply disturbed about the Income Tax “surveys” at the offices NewsClick.in and Newslaundry.com. It stated that the seizures of mobiles etc. are “clearly beyond the mandate of surveys as defined under section 133A of the Income Tax Act, which only allows data pertaining to the investigation to be copied, and certainly not personal and professional data of journalists. It is also in violation of procedures laid out in the Information Technology Act, 2000.” 

The Guild noted that “such indiscriminate seizure of journalists’ data” that could include sensitive information such as details of sources, stories under works and other journalistic data, was “in violation of free speech and freedom of press.”

The EGI noted that “both NewsClick and Newslaundry have been critical of policies and functioning of the Union Government. The dangerous trend of government agencies harassing and intimidating independent media must stop as it undermines our constitutional democracy” and has demanded that “such investigations are conducted within the prescribed rules and that they don’t degenerate into instruments of harassment to intimidate independent media.”

The Editors Guild of India is deeply disturbed about the Income Tax “surveys” at the offices of news websites https://t.co/GYNJdhmMds and https://t.co/M5fmtEXgqK. pic.twitter.com/xp9WmuTNz6

— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) September 11, 2021

Journalist Rana Ayyub also under the scanner 

Independent Journalist Rana Ayyub is also under the scanner and has been booked in a case pertaining to donations. According to news reports, Ghaziabad Police have registered an FIR against Rana Ayyub, days after an online crowdfunding platform Ketto sent an email to donors who gave money to her campaigns. The Indian Express reported that Ketto stated they had been informed by the “Indian law enforcement agencies” that the funds were “not utilised for the purpose for which they were raised”. Ayyub did not respond to calls, messages and emails. The FIR was based on a complaint by one Vikas Sankrityayan a ‘Hindu IT Cell’ co-founder, who has accused her of illegally acquiring public money in the name of charity. He cited Ketto’s letter and also alleged that Ayyub was in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, for allegedly “receiving foreign money without any kind of approval certificate/registration from the government.” 
 

Attack on media in Tripura 

An investigation into the alleged attack on five media houses in Tripura’s capital Agartala including Pratibadi Kalam newspaper, has been sent to the Crime Branch department for a quick investigation, stated news reports. The attack reportedly followed the clashes between supporters of the opposition CPIM and ruling BJP at Udaipur in Gomati district, Bishalgarh in Sepahijala district, and in Hapania and Agartala’s Melarmath area in West Tripura district. According to news reports two CPIM party offices were torched, and three media offices – Pratibadi Kalam, CPM mouthpiece Daily Desher Katha, a local TV channel PB 24 were also attacked. An FIR had been filed on the complaint file by the newspaper’s editor Anal Roy Choudhury. He has alleged that the attack took place while the West Agartala Police station personnel remained “mute spectators”. After senior journalists including Agartala Press Club secretary Pranab Sarkar and Ajker Fariad editor Sanit Debroy reportedly met Inspector General – Law and Order, Arindam Nath, they were assured action. 
 

Jaunpur BJP leader accused of breaking Dalit reporter’s legs 

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yadavendra Pratap Singh has been accused of harassing and brutally assaulting Dalit reporter Santosh Kumar, reported The Caravan. Santosh Kumar, bureau chief for Jaunpur district of the Hindi news channel Bahujan India 24. The Caravan reported that he has been facing “casteist attacks and threats since March 2021.” The man accused of attacking him is a Thakur caste, who allegedly “targeted Santosh and his family as they are Dalit.” The reporter had “also published news reports regarding the Thakurs’ harassment and abuse of Dalits in the village.” According to the news report, an FIR had been registered t against Thakur in July, no action has been taken on it yet. 

Santosh told the police that he and his family have been targeted since late March, just ahead of the panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh. According to the news report Santosh’s village, Sawansa’s seat is reserved for women and his wife Reshma stood for the election as did Singh’s wife, Anamika. Singh reportedly demanded that the Dalit candidate withdraw her nomination. “They came and threatened my wife, and told me that if we fight the election, they will have us killed,” Santosh told the reporter, adding that they also faced caste-based abuse which continued after Singh’s wife won the polls.

Santosh recalled the day he was attacked when he was out for an errand, saying, “When we reached the Delupur bridge” —located near the village— “Yadavendra and 14 other people were present there along with him, of which I knew ten. Those people beat me so much that I fainted. They used casteist abuses and mother-sister profanities. They broke both my legs. I suffered several serious injuries—it was a life-threatening attack.” According to the Caravan, it was over twenty days after the attack, that Maharajganj police filed an FIR against Singh and 14 others, on July 17.

DUJ condemns raids and attacks on media

The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has condemned the ‘surveys’, raids and attacks on the media calling them “brazen attempts of the government to intimidate and browbeat  the online media portals”. The DUJ also condemned the “select ransacking and torching of media offices by politically motivated mobs as seen recently in Tripura”. The DUJ President S.K.Pande and General Secretary Sujata Madhok issued a statement condemning the incidents and demanded “immediate action against those who ransacked premises, torched some offices and set several media vehicles on fire.” They have demanded that “immediate compensation for the loss of offices and equipment” be given and “prosecution of those who led these mob attacks that set an extremely dangerous precedent,” be ordered. The DUJ has also questioned the filing of an FIR in Uttar Pradesh against Rana Ayyub for her fundraising campaign and relief work during the pandemic. 

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The post What is behind the synchronised Income Tax “survey” at NewsClick, Newslaundry?  appeared first on SabrangIndia.

After clocking around 113 hours, at multiple locations related to news portal Newsclick, the teams of the Enforcement Directorate eventually ended its physical raids, searches, and collected data from the residences of the proprietor-editor of the portal. It was only after the official end of the physical raids that NewsClick’s 73-year-old editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and 67-year-old author Githa Hariharan were allowed to step out of their South Delhi apartment for the first time. The veteran journalist and author spoke to reporters who were waiting outside their home at around 1.30 am on Sunday. They had been confined indoors since the raids began in the morning on February 9, Tuesday at the newsclick office and residences of the senior staff, the longest raid, as reported,  was at  Hariharan and Purkayastha’s home.

The Telegraph reported that after a team of around eight officers from tthe ED wound up the raid veteran journalist Purkayastha came out and thanked civil society and journalists for their solidarity, he said: “We are not interested in being the news, we want to cover what is happening, what the news is. And this (the raid) is something that we will take the way it is meant to be taken. This will not stop us. We will continue to do what a news organisation should do, which is cover people’s issues and take positions.” However, leave alone details of charges, allegations, the ED is yet to explain why the raid took so much or why the two senior citizens were confined indoors. Unsurprisingly, even till the 5th day, their lawyers did not know why the raid was happening. ‘The raid is going on. We have not had a chance to understand from the clients what has happened. In fact, the clients are also not aware of the entire details, what is the allegation and we don’t know exactly why we are being investigated,’ the lawyers said.”

According to the news report, two of their sons, who live elsewhere in the capital, “were allowed to visit under the supervision of the ED. Hariharan was allowed to attend an online literature festival on Saturday”.

It is known that the Patna High Court had stated in 2013, that tax raids cannot continue for longer than 36 hours. Yet, NewsClick employees tolerate continued searches amidst deteriorating health. Purkayastha suffers from hypertension, diabetes, asthma, while 67-year-old Hariharan has a heart ailment. Neither of them tested their health parameters since the raid began.

Purkayastha, shared that “ “It is one of the longest raids that I know of by the ED,” adding that it seemed that he had “lot of emails” as he has been using gmail since 2005, and it seems that there was too much data “to take down quickly.” The Telegraph reported that the ED officials had “been copying email and other electronic data from devices at the home since Thursday.”

These raids have been condemned by civil society, and also by Opposition parties and senior politicians such as former Union minister Yashwant Sinha who called out the mainstream media’s silence on the issue.

Raid on Newsclick Editor’s house has gone on for 80 hours. Can there be a worst example of govt’s attempt to gag the media. Yet even the media is quiet. Are you afraid your turn will come sooner than later? Stand up and be counted.

— Yashwant Sinha (@YashwantSinha) February 13, 2021

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties, has also issued a strong statement on Sunday, condemning these raids and the news leaks stating that it is an attempt “to disrupt the journalism that NewsClick is now renowned for: covering voices that do not feature in the mainstream media – whether it is tribal people displaced from the homes by so-called “development” projects or farmers out in protest in large numbers. It is evident that this was a ham-handed attempt to silence a media outlet that continued to feature stories that questioned the narrative the government wants to propagate, even as large sections of the media had surrendered.” These raids are a way of “ Weaponising the law by Criminalising Free Speech,” stated  PUCL.

However, the investigation process is still not over as the ED is likely to summon Purkayastha to its headquarters this week. According to the news report, a few NewsClick “shareholders and their families whose homes were searched have also faced tangential remarks or queries on their links to the CPM, the farmers’ protests, and jailed rights activist Gautam Navlakha who was associated with the website”. The organisation has been covering the news related to all of that extensively. NewsClick had already stated that certain news reports mentioned allegations of illegitimate financial transactions as “selective leak of misleading facts” and were a “malicious attempt to smear the image of Newsclick and discredit our journalism.”

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The post 113 hours raiding multiple locations, it is still not clear why the ED is investigations Newsclick appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The raid on Newsclick by the enforcement directorate unambiguously shows how the government ‘respects’ those voices who differ with it. The Enforcement Directorate these days has become the new CBI and is being used as a political tool. It is deeply disturbing how these agencies have allowed themselves to be used as a political tool to harass all opponents of the ruling party. When big media has failed Indian democracy and turned into an amplified voice of the  Sarkari party, it is these voices which have kept our hopes high. But then this government is not satisfied with the presence of all the ‘big’ ‘media houses’ with it. Maybe, they also know the fact that these media houses have completely lost their credibility and that is why people would love to watch all those who may not be big but definitely ‘taller’ than the Darbaris; which is why this attempt to intimidate them.

The ‘outrage’ and ‘protests’ of BJP mantris and netas were reserved for hate monger Arnab Goswami. It is interesting to see the events of how the government asked twitter to remove certain handles spreading poison and hatred. Ambani channels seeking ‘expert’ views of the head of the notorious BJP’s IT cell, on the hate campaign on social media and whether it needs to be regulated. Frankly speaking, rules and regulation these days are only meant to control the opponents otherwise the ruling party can do anything. It can get a comedian arrested on the comments he did not make. The mantriji can announce that Rs 18,000 will be deposited in the bank account immediately after ‘their’ government comes to power in West Bengal without any ‘fear’ and spineless darbaris start sing songs of ‘valour’. None question that this is unethical and a pure form of bribery for the voters. We still wait to hear from the election commission on the same.

A young climate activist from Banglore has just been arrested for ‘uploading’ the ‘kit’ on twitter. Perhaps she will be accused of sedition. The ‘court’ ‘accepted’ the plea of the agencies and sent her a reminder. These days we don’t see much questioning of the authorities by Courts even, simply an Acquiescence of what they demand. Most of them have become actually ‘Executive Court. So, it is not justice that we are looking for but ‘punishment’. Perhaps that power to ‘punish’ is The powerful buzzword, not the issue of justice for all. The Washington Post recently revealed that the Bhima Koregaon ‘evidence’ was planted in the computers of some of the accused by hacking but we did not hear any outrage in the media. The intimidation is growing. We now will have a social media policy. The party which used social media to divide people and intimidate them is calling to ‘regulate’. Reading, speaking and participating in debates and discussion is fast becoming crime. Those who are spreading hatred are enjoying the patronage and can say anything to any one. Only those who respond to such hatred face the criminalisation.

A couple of days back Rajya Sabha Member Shri Ranjan Gogoi said that our judiciary was ‘ram-shackled’ and it needed change. I am not sure what he was actually upset about in the judiciary. However, the way things are not moving and stuck at a certain level is not good for our democratic set up. Gogoi virtually mocked the ‘training courses’ at the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal advising them to ‘train’ the judges about how to write judgements. While Mr Gogoi was upset about non appointments of the judges at various high courts and Supreme Court, those who really value judiciary as the most important institution of a liberal and free democracy, would be disappointed at the way our courts have ‘prioritised’ cases. Higher courts have virtually ‘accepted’ things presented by the executive most of the time. It had no time to ask the agencies why charge sheets have not been filed even after two years of arrests of activists. The biggest disappointment is that people are languishing in jails for many many years without any charge sheet but we don’t see any outrage or anger in the Courts against the executive.

An eminent lawyer like Sudha Bhardwaj languishes in the jails without a complete chargesheet. Over 90% physically disabled G N Saibaba continues to face humiliation with continuous incarceration in Nagpur Jail as one of ‘biggest criminals’ of India. Reports suggest that he has contracted Covid and is already ailing. There seems to be no respect for basic values of humanity. It is becoming more and more cruel, perhaps to intimidate others. You can’t love a person of your choice. You can’t eat food of your choice. They can’t watch anything of your choice as the feeling of so many people gets ‘hurt’ due to these ‘fundamental rights’. A feudal society which wants to control everything actually feels threatened if an individual makes an independent choice. It looks that for everything we will have to take permission from the state. Where do people get protection and justice? Those who are threatening are roaming free in the name of ‘rastrabhakti’ while agencies trap and intimidate the political opponents and dissenters.

Where will all this take India to? Americans fought back because they had vibrant institutions. the judiciary and media actually were in the forefront in protecting people’s rights but back home here we are distressed. What are the avenues for the people to get justice ? Is there any chance that any person will not be incarcerated for an indefinite period and in the name of justice you will only get a date for next hearing or no hearing. An ailing Varavara Rao has not been able to get bail because the courts dont seem to be convinced. In the Arnab case, Justice Chandrachud so loudly said jail is an exception but bail should be the rule but where is it being implemented?

We may moan about the quality of media and social media but the biggest worry is the judiciary. People may call Mr Ranjan Gogoi as a hypocrite but somewhere he spoke the truth on ‘judiciary being ramshackled’. Let us see how the Judiciary responds to this.

The post Where is India headed ? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties(PUCL) has issued a strong condemnation of the recent raids on news portal, NewsClick and the criminalisation of dissent. In a statement issued on February 14 by office bearers, Ravi Kiran Jain and V Suresh, the civil liberties platform says it is shocked at the illegal detention of the editor-in-chief of news portal, NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha and well known author, Githa Hariharan, at their home in Delhi as the 113-hour “search” by the Enforcement Directorate continued. Senior citizens aged 73 and 67 years, they were kept in confinement and not allowed access to phones and even to their lawyers in gross violation of their fundamental rights. 

“Unsurprisingly, even till the 5th day, their lawyers did not know why the raid was happening. ‘The raid is going on. We have not had a chance to understand from the clients what has happened. In fact, the clients are also not aware of the entire details, what is the allegation and we don’t know exactly why we are being investigated,’ the lawyers said.”

The raids occurred not just at the office of NewsClick and the house of its editor-in-chief, but also the residence of its chief editor, and in about ten places in Ghaziabad and Delhi. It appears that associated companies, shareholders and others were targeted, making it seem like a raid on a business cartel out to manipulate the market. 

The PUCL has also remarked upon the one sided coverage in the media. “What came as a rude shock was that sections of the press carried selective leaks by ED. Newspapers and media outlets otherwise championing the cause of press freedom unfortunately allowed themselves to be used to smear the portal. Repeatedly, NewsClick issued statements saying it was cooperating with the investigation and had nothing to hide. 

The rest of the statement may be read below:  

“The manner of conducting the raid, the selective leaks meant to tarnish their image and highhandedness of the ED makes it obvious that the attempt was to disrupt the journalism that NewsClick is now renowned for: covering voices that do not feature in the mainstream media – whether it is tribal people displaced from the homes by so-called “development” projects or farmers out in protest in large numbers. It is evident that this was a ham-handed attempt to silence a media outlet that continued to feature stories that questioned the narrative the government wants to propagate, even as large sections of the media had surrendered.

“NewsClick, since its formation in 2009, has gained a vast following, which this government fears, as it continues to inform the public about the truth and hold the government accountable. The immediate reason to come down heavily on them is perhaps their fearless reporting of the farmers’ movement, which is now attracting global attention as the “largest protest in the world”.  

“PUCL wishes to point out that Newsclick has repeatedly stated that they have nothing to hide and are cooperating with the ED. In view of this, the action of the ED is an attempt to gag the free press and intimidate and stifle independent media.  

“The attack on NewsClick is not an isolated incident of the present ruling government using the investigating agencies under its command against journalists and media organisations seen as exposing their fake claims and bringing the true facts to the attention of the larger citizenry. 

“The ED action against NewsClick has to be seen in the wake of the FIRs alleging sedition against six editors and journalists by the UP and MP Police, against India Today TV’s Rajdeep Sardesai, National Herald’s Zafar Agha and Mrinal Pande, and Caravan’s Paresh Nath, Ananth Nath and Vinod K Jose for their tweet on the death of a farmer during the Republic Day march by farmers into Delhi. 

“The Wire.in Editor Siddharth Varadarajan and journalist Ismat Ara have also been named in the FIR for a detailed report carried along with video evidence. Later The Guardian newspaper in the UK also raised some of the issues that these reports contained, offering reason to question the narrative that the government had put out.  

“So malicious are the FIRs that they charge journalists and editors of “inciting violence”; when all they have done is report facts about incidents. 

“On January 29, 2021, as independent journalist Mandeep Punia released videos identifying those responsible for violence during the farmer protests at Singhu Border, he was arrested. On February 1, more than 250 Twitter handles were blocked at the behest of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the use of a hashtag on farmers’ genocide. There could not be a more reprehensible illustration of media censorship than this.  

“Although Twitter lifted the blockage after a few hours, the GOI put pressure, and Twitter later blocked about 500 handles and issued a statement saying that it had not blocked journalists’ accounts and would work in accordance with Indian law.  

“Shockingly, according to news reports, by 12^th February, Twitter succumbed to pressure of the Government of India, which used the specious arguments that all the tweets related to the hashtag “famer’s genocide”, that it was allowing irresponsible content which could provoke and inflame the situation and argued that it was “neither journalistic freedom nor freedom of expression”. The strong arm pressure of the government eventually culminated in the social media platform blocking 1,398 accounts of the 1,435 flagged accounts. How many of these are that of journalists and social media bloggers, we will know soon. 

“In January, we saw a criminal case of defamation made out in Gujarat against journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta for his investigative reports on the Adani industries, the subject of his investigation. UP Police file cases and arrest journalists who so much as dare to criticize the chief minister. Freelance journalist Prashant Kanojia was jailed for a month over a tweet. Since early October journalist Siddique Kappan of the Kerala Working Union of Journalists has been in Mathura jail under sections of the UAPA. He was arrested while travelling to Hathras from Delhi to cover the case of gang rape and murder of a Dalit girl. He has since been chargesheeted by the ED in a so-called money laundering case. There are also attempts being made to implicate him in the Delhi Riots of February 2020, with claims that he and the Popular Front of India raised funds for the protesters during the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act.  

“A study by widely respected senior journalist, Geeta Seshu, showed that more than 150 journalists have been arrested, detained and interrogated between 2010 and 2020. Of these cases, 40% were reported in 2020 alone.  The list of persecuted journalists from different parts of India is unfortunately, a long list.

“The PUCL in its press statement in June 2020 had protested the increasing attacks on journalists. We would now categorically state that attacks on media freedom will drain the very essence of Indian democracy. 

“The PUCL calls on all organizations working towards democracy and peace, including media houses and individual journalists, to heed the words of Albert Camus: “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion”.

“If we do not stand up and fight for those being jailed, silenced and tormented now, we will face even greater restrictions on freedom. We 

reiterate that we have the right to freedom of speech and to assemble peacefully, granted to us under Article 19 of the Constitution. We have a right to know, to be informed, and to express our opinions freely. We must fight now by continuing to exercise these rights, even though the government may unleash on us the police, ED, IT, CBI, NIA and invoke draconian laws like sedition and UAPA.  

“The PUCL also calls upon constitutionally sensitive and democratically minded citizens not to remain silent when the state so brazenly weaponises the law to persecute by false prosecution, not just the journalists, but also all others who may communicate their views critically questioning the government’s policies and activities. We wish to point out that the danger of allowing the government to brazenly violate with impunity and abuse the criminal laws will in the end undermine the citizen’s faith in the fairness and independence of the judicial process and administration of justice and the fundamental notions of liberty, justice, fraternity, transparency and accountability which form the basic structure of our constitutional democracy. 

“We call upon all right thinking citizens to stand in solidarity with the NewsClick team as they courageously carry out their journalistic duties of informing the citizens the truth about what is happening in India under the leadership of the present ruling party in the Centre and States, as also all other journalists and media organisations.”                 

The post ED Raids & NewsClick: Weaponising law by Criminalising Free Speech appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) completed 85 hours of continuing search, as of February 12, 2021, at the home of 73-year-old NewsClick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha and author Githa Hariharan.

According to the Telegraph, former Income Tax Chief Commissioner and ex-Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy said it was rare for anyone to be detained so long.

Regarding precedents of long raids by the Union Finance Ministry’s agencies he said, “Among the very long raids was that on the Jaipur Royal family… I do not know the facts of this [NewsClick] case but we normally don’t have the power to detain people for so long.”

Krishnamurthy was referring to the tax-raid in 1975 when officials visited Jaipur’s palaces and forts for a fortnight and found more than 800 kg of undeclared gold. However, in 2013, the Patna High Court ruled that subjecting a person to a continuous income-tax raid for 36 hours amounted to violation of human rights. Nonetheless, long “searches” have continued.

At the Delhi house, Purkayastha suffers from hypertension, diabetes, asthma, while 67-year-old Hariharan has a heart ailment. Neither of them tested their health parameters since the raid began. However, the newspaper said the two veteran writers have been experiencing insomnia since the raid began. Purkayastha is showing signs of severe fatigue.

Other than the Editor-in-Chief’s house, the ED has raided seven other locations linked to the news website, known for its coverage of the farmers’ movement and investigative reports on big businesses. Even after the conclusion of the home raids, Purkayastha has to appear at the ED office to record his statement.

Earlier, the ED confiscated laptops and mobiles of NewsClick workers. The department is yet to reveal what information was recovered from the gadgets, email caches and bank documents of several NewsClick shareholders and employees.

Another newspaper on Friday said ED personnel claimed that NewsClick received Rs. 30.51 crore from foreign companies to publish news on its sister platform Peoples Dispatch, an international news site run in collaboration with several global news outlets. It may be mentioned that this is not in itself illegal.

The ED is mandated with enforcing the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

Meanwhile, NewsClick published a statement saying, “Communication devices of directors and senior management have also been seized, which has, therefore, limited their ability to return to work or indeed, respond to queries of the media. Despite this harassment, NewsClick has cooperated fully with the authorities, and will continue to do so.”

However, the organisation expressed concerns about various media reports based on information allegedly provided by ED senior officials

“The selective leak of misleading facts is nothing but a malicious attempt to smear the image of Newsclick and discredit our journalism,” it said.

NewsClick employees have so far answered questionnaires on financial transactions, tangential queries on their proximity to the CPM, farmers’ agitation and the influence of Gautam Navlakha, who had been associated with NewsClick as a contributor and as one of its initial shareholders.

Related:

ED questioning of NewsClick Founder continues, while staff’s electronic gadgets seized

Truth shall prevail, have full faith in legal system: Newsclick

Enforcement Directorate raids NewsClick.in

Condemn targeting of Newsclick

Journalist Mandeep Punia granted bail by Delhi Court

Solidarity is the biggest need for Indian journalists today

FIR against senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan 

The post 85 hours and counting: Raid continues at NewsClick, editor’s health deteriorates appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the offices of independent news portal Newsclick’s office and the homes of their senior team that started on February 9, and are still on at the time of publishing this report. According to a statement put out by the organisation, the Enforcement Directorate officials were still searching the office and at homes “in order to find evidence for what are alleged to be financial irregularities”. 

According to Newsclick, media reports on the raids have quoted from what “appears to be the official narrative that alleges that Newsclick was involved in “money laundering” by channeling funds received from abroad”. Newsclick has stated that it has “cooperated with the officials and will continue to do so. If the ED and the government are truthful and follow the course of law, no wrongdoing will be found and this unfortunate event will be closed”, adding that it “has nothing to hide.”

The independent news organisation, is founded by Prabir Purkayastha, who is also its Editor-in-Chief, and the portal is edited by Pranjal, both of whose homes are also being raided by ED, has stated that, “It has become a routine practice with the present government to deploy government-controlled agencies to deal with all those who disagree with and criticise the government. In the past, the income tax department, the ED, various Central investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and National Investigation Agency, have been selectively used in this manner against a range of people – from journalists to political leaders, to even farmers’ leaders.” 

It added, “The whole panoply of the legal instruments available with the government have been deployed for such politically motivated coercive actions, including filing cases of sedition, defamation, harming harmony, breach of peace, etc. under the Indian Penal Code, and use of other laws like the Disaster Management Act, the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Information Technology Act, and others. The present raid at Newsclick appears to be on the same lines, and its purpose appears to be the same: to cow down an independent and progressive voice through a vindictive course of action.”

Newsclick added that in the meantime, they will “continue to report and record voices of the unheard and unseen people of India, and the world, who are struggling to build a life of dignity and well-being. Efforts such as these raids, to suppress protests and indeed, any striving for progressive thought, will not deter those who stand for justice. There has been an outpouring of support and solidarity for Newsclick from across the country and the world over, for which Newsclick is thankful.Truth Shall Prevail. We Have Full Faith in Legal System.”

Since the news of the ED raids broke, the organisation has received massive solidarity from all sessions including fellow journalists, political leaders, civil rights activists, citizens activists, and most importantly from their readers. Digipub, an organisation representing 11 news websites issued a statement condemning the ED raids on one of its members. “Newsclick has always upheld the highest standards of journalistic integrity and speaking truth to power. Its commendable journalist work, seeking to hold power accountable speaks for itself”, stated Digipub, adding that the raid was “a clear attempt to suppress journalism critical of the government and its allies. Such use of state agencies to intimidate journalists and suppress adversarial journalism is detrimental to not only the freedom of the press, but also the very idea of democratic accountability.” Digipub has demanded that the ED action be stopped and the agency should clear why Newsclick was raided. The Committee for Journalists Protection has also posted a tweet urging the authorities to “respect press freedom”.

The Editors Guild of India has also issued a statement expressing deep concern about the Enforcement Directorate raids. It stated that Newsclick “has been at the frontline of reporting on the farmers agitation, the anti-CAA protests, and has been critical of various government policies and of a few powerful corporates houses.” The EGI has stated that it is “concerned that raids by government agencies are not used as coercive measures to suppress free and independent journalism” and has demanded that “care be taken to not undermine the news operations of Newsclick and that it’s journalists and stakeholders are not harassed under the garb of such measures.”

Solidarity has also come in from the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which issued a statement, condemned the raids and called them “yet another attack on independent media”. The CPI(M) stated that the “ED action is a blatant attempt to intimidate and suppress an independent news portal. Newsclick has been providing credible and wide coverage of the farmers protests. The Central agencies are being used by the Modi government to harass and silence independent media.” The CPI(M) has also demanded that “the vindictive action against Newsclick and its management,” be ended.

The Press Club of India has called the raids on Newsclick “an unsavoury attack on the media in a bid to intimidate and silence critical journalism. This particular news  group has closely covered the ongoing farmers protest, and specialises in reports on government policies  on the poorer sections of society. Publicising the charge of alleged money laundering against a small, public-spirited, news company is no  way to defend democratic values and institutions, which the government proclaims to be doing, especially on the world stage.” 

The PCI added that there has been “a series of attacks on prominent journalists of the country, and also on lesser known hard working  journalists who report from the ground in far-flung areas of the country, has regrettably become the hallmark of the government. In the past one year, numerous FIRs have been registered against journalists on the plainly specious and false charge of sedition and incitement of communal disharmony.” The PCI added that in the past too “it has been seen to be the case that vile charges against journalists and against boutique journalist groups  doing ground-level work to expose communal agendas and poor people issues do not make headway in  terms of investigations. Nor have they withstood judicial scrutiny. All they end up doing is give the  government a bad name.” The PCI asked that the government end this “raid raj and false allegations raj against the media and take visible steps to ensure democratic freedoms such as free speech and right to liberty.”

According to the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust, the raids are “deplorable” and are a “continuation of the attacks on media & creative persons including Munawar Faruqui, Mandeep Punia, Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Zafar Agha, Siddharth Varadarajan, Vinod Jose and others who have been vocal in support of the farmer’s agitation.” 

Related:

BREAKING: SC stays arrest of Shashi Tharoor, journalists over sedition FIRs
MJ Akbar vs Priya Ramani: Pronouncement of judgment deferred till Feb 17
Condemn targeting of Newsclick
BREAKING: SC stays arrest of Shashi Tharoor, journalists over sedition FIRs

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