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‘NewsClick-China links’: In Parl, BJP continues attack on Opposition
BJP leader Nishikant Dubey alleged a nexus between Chinese authorities, CPI(M), Prakash Karat, and Congress, citing emails after a New York Times report that an American millionaire funded reportage to defend China's handling of Covid. Dubey also alleged the involvement of former CPI(M) chief Karat in supporting the Chinese-funded propaganda. Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury rejected the allegations. NewsClick, the Indian news website named in the report, said the charges against it were unfounded.
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nishikant Dubey, while speaking in the Lok Sabha during the no-confidence motion on Tuesday, alleged a nexus between Chinese authorities, the CPI(M), former CPI(M) chief Prakash Karat, and the Congress, citing emails after a New York Times report that an American millionaire, Neville Roy Singham, funded reportage to defend China’s handling of Covid.
The mails were allegedly sent by Singham to help publish a series of articles in the international media on China’s steps to contain Covid, which included the Indian news website NewsClick. Dubey also said the campaign included issues such as supporting farmers’ protests in India and collaboration with Indian communists.
Dubey alleged the involvement of former CPI(M) chief Karat in supporting the Chinese-funded propaganda, stating that he had evidence of the former CPI(M) chief’s involvement in NewsClick, which he could “put on record”.
On Monday, too, the BJP targeted the Congress in Lok Sabha over the New York Times report on China pumping money into various countries including India to push its propaganda. Naming media portal NewsClick, which was named in the NYT report for allegedly receiving Chinese funds, BJP leaders said that the opposition party and some independent journalists have ties with the “Chinese propaganda” machinery.
“We are working together on a three-part series of articles on China and the handling of the corona virus. They will be originally syndicated by Globetrotter. Then all three will be assembled into a TriContinental publication,” one of the purported emails from Singham cited by the BJP? read.
Portions of Monday’s statements in the House on the issue were expunged from the records but later reintroduced.
“If NewsClick’s name has been restored (in Monday’s speech in Parliament), what is your problem? Former CPI(M) chief Prakash Karat had exchanged several emails with Singham. I can put them on record,” Dubey said while speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
HT reached out to Karat for a remark but did not get one immediately.
Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury rejected the BJP’s allegations, calling them “defamatory and libellous”.
NewsClick, in a statement on Monday, said the charges against it were “unfounded and without basis in fact or law”.
“Over the past 12 hours, various false and misleading allegations have been levelled against Newsclick which pertain to matters that are currently sub judice before courts in India. We respect the sanctity of the legal process and do not intend to indulge in a media trial,” the statement said.
