New Delhi: Many national and international media organizations including Press Club of India (PCI), Editors Guild of India (EGI) and Peoples Dispatch condemned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the offices of NewsClick.
On Tuesday, the ED has conducted searches at multiple premises linked to the news portal, its promoters and some others in connection with a money-laundering probe.
The searches were conducted in south Delhi’s Saidulajab, Gurgaon and some other areas.
PCI, EGI, Peoples Dispatch condemn raids
Reacting over the raids, PCI in his statement said, “The PCI asks the government to end raid raj and false allegations raj against media and take visible steps to ensure democratic freedoms such as free speech and right to liberty”.
The EGI’s statement mentioned, “EGI is concerned that raids by the government agencies are not used as coercive measures to suppress free and independent journalism. The Guild demands that care be taken not to undermine the news operations of NewsClick and that its journalists and stakeholders are not harassed under the grab of such measures”.
Global media organization, Peoples Dispatch also issued a statement against the raid. It said, “The detention of its [NewsClick.in] editors and the smearing of its reputation in the press is a calculated move to intimidate coverage of the farmer’s revolt and other mass struggles that are ongoing in India”.
Left parties describe raids as ‘attack on independent media’
On Wednesday, the left parties described the raids as “another attack on independent media”.
“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 Communist Party of India (Marxist) said in a statement.
It further alleged that central agencies are being used by the Narendra Modi government to “harass and silence independent media”.
“The CPI(M) demands an end to the vindictive action against NewsClick and its management”, the Left party said.