An NYT article claimed that NewsClick was part of a global network that received funding from Singham to spread Chinese propaganda.
Protests erupted in several parts of the country and abroad after the arrest of the duo. (X)
American millionaire Neville Roy Singham, who has been accused of spreading Chinese propaganda in India, on Tuesday, 17 October, rejected allegations that he had received funds or instructions from any government or political party, including China and the Communist Party of China.
In a statement to The Hindu, Singham, who currently resides in Shanghai, said that the language used in the FIR filed by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police “strongly suggests” that the claims were “influenced by misinformation from an article published by The New York Times.”
“The NYT intentionally chose not to publish all the factual rebuttals that I provided to them on 22 July 2023, prior to their publication date,” Singham said.
He also rejected the allegation of fraudulent infusion of funds through a “complex web of several entities”, as mentioned in the FIR and in the NYT article.
“I also reject any innuendo that I violate any Indian or US law by working with banned organisations. There is just no proof of such accusations because they are untrue,” Singham said.
Singham has been accused of spreading Chinese propaganda in India and abroad through his funding network, and his IT consulting company, Thoughtworks, which he sold in 2017.
Singham said that Thoughtworks, a digital solutions provider, had some government clients over the years, including the US, the UK and Australia, but not China.
“I was shocked to see the absurd attempt to connect me to the Chinese telecom companies Xiaomi and Vivo, in the FIR. I have no knowledge of their activities in India. I have never had contact with, directly or indirectly received funding from, nor worked on behalf of these companies,” Singham said.
According to the Delhi Police’s remand copy, which was submitted before the court on 4 October when it produced Purkayastha and Chakravarty, the analysis of the emails shows that Neville Roy Singham, Prabir Purkayastha, and Amit Chakravarty were in direct touch with each other and were found to be discussing how to create a map of India without Kashmir and to show Arunachal Pradesh as a disputed area.
The Delhi Police FIR also claims that Singham has close ties with the Chinese government media machinery and has financed several news outlets that promote Beijing’s agenda.
Meanwhile, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, one among the questioned, told South First, “They couldn’t get him (Prabir) under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), the FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) or the Income Tax Act, so finally they got him under police custody under UAPA.”
“I haven’t seen the FIR. It is said that the FIR was launched on 17 August. So almost a month-and-a-half later, all these things happened. It is sending a chilling… message to all journalists that this is what the government is capable of doing,” he said.
“They don’t want independent critical journalism to continue in this country. That’s the only conclusion I can draw,” Guha Thakurta added.
The New York Times article had claimed that NewsClick was part of a global network that purportedly received funding from Singham to spread Chinese propaganda within India.
About 250 journalists and activists held a protest against NYT in front of its office on 8th Avenue in New York. Speaking at the protest, one of the protesters said, “The New York Times has supported the persecution that NewsClick has been facing for the last two years.”
Further criticising the Modi government, they said, “Amit Shah, the Home Minister of India has used the NYT article to claim that our colleagues at NewsClick are Chinese agents.”
A journalist at the protest further claimed the Modi government is targetting NewsClick because it dared to cover the issues that affected the working class people, and the farmers’ protests.
On 3 October, NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and Head of the HR Department Amit Chakraborty were arrested by the Delhi Police, following raids in their offices. The portal has been accused of receiving money to spread pro-China propaganda.
Police have invoked the stringent anti-terror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against the two journalists.
Purkayastha and Chakravarty, on Monday, 16 October, moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court’s refusal to interfere with their arrest and police remand in a case lodged under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
(With PTI inputs)
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