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After search at his house, Sitaram Yechury shows strong objection to NewsClick raids
Delhi Police earlier reached the top CPI(M) leader's residence to question one of his associate's son on allged links to China case.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday launched sharp attack over the raids being conducted at different locations associated with news portal NewsClick over the case pertaining to the site's alleged links to China. The top CPI(M) leader termed the Delhi Police's action an attempt to ‘muzzle the media’ and added that the country must know the reason behind this.
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Over 30 locations have been searched so far in connection with the case in which NewsClick allegedly received funds for pro-China propaganda. Delhi Police also reached Yechury's resident on Tuesday morning to question one of his staffer Sri Narayan's son Summit Kumar, who works for NewsClick.
"Police came to my residence because one of my companions who lives with me there, his son, works for NewsClick. The police came to question him. They took his laptop and phone. What are they investigating? Nobody knows. If this is an attempt to try and muzzle the media, the country must know the reason behind this," Yechury said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
He further expressed his strong opposition of the operation claiming that the raid is a severe violation of 'press freedom' and freedom of expression.
This comes as police officials today brought NewsClick editor Prabir Purkayastha, and writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh to the special cell offices in the national capital.
Raids are being conducted after a case was registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other sections of the Indian Penal Code on August 17.
Defending the move, Union minister Anurag Thakur said NewsClick must have committed something wrong therefore probe agencies are carrying out searches.
"I don't need to justify... If anyone has committed anything wrong, search agencies are free to carry out investigations against them under set guidelines," the Union minister told reporters earlier.
