ED finds 10crores money laundering by Newsclick. The news portal allegedly received funds from Communist Party of China and paid Maoist-Urban Naxal Gautam Navlakha Rs.21 lakhs. CPI's Bappa Aditya Sinha, a shareholder of Newsclick was also paid Rs.52 lakhs.
China has been long suspected to bank roll several media outlets across the world, including the Washinton Post, CNN and other prominent media houses to peddle their propaganda and polish their image across the world. Indian media is no exception as connections of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with the Indian banned Maoist outfits, Communist parties like CPI(M), CPI etc is very well known.
With Indian media dominated by leftist fellow travellers it comes as no surprise that the Enforcement Directorate has allegedly found news portal Newsclick being funded by the Communist Party of China through a web of shell companies. The money was allegedly paid to polish China’s image in the world by carrying positive stories of China despite being the prime exporter of Wuhan Virus which has plunged the world into serious health and economic crisis. Newsclick is also alleged to be funding Maoist-Urban Naxals like Gautam Navlakha accused in the Bhima Koregaon caste riots.
On Sunday, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra in a press conference revealed alleged anti-India activities by news portal Newsclick with Chinese funding. The BJP gave put out specific detils of the alleged scam and said there were attempts to defame India and spread unrest in the society under an assidious agenda funded by foreign powers inimical to india. Sambit Patra called the entire exercise an ‘international toolkit’ to destabilise India.
Sambit Patra in the press briefing said, “There is an international conspiracy to defame India. There are pseudo activists and these portals like Newsclick, under the cloak of media along with the international leaders of certain parties try to spread unrest in the country. This is an international toolkit.”
Patra added, “Newsclick is said to be a normal portal. But they accepted 9.59 crores of foreign funding. Two companies infused money in this company. While Rs 10 per share is what is its original value, it was inflated just to look that it was an authentic destination for FDI. Newsclick received money from several other websites too”.
Sambit Patra further revealed, individuals like Gautam Navlakha who is a Maoist-Urban Naxal and accused in Bhima Koregaon caste riots, Bappa Aditya Sinha who is Communist Party of India’s IT Cell Head and Joseph Raj, allegedly received money from Newsclick to ‘defame India and abuse Modi’. BJP alleged that Maoist-Urban Naxal Navlakha received Rs 21 lakhs from Newsclick, while Sinha allegedly received Rs 52 lakhs. It is not yet known how much money Joseph Raj received. BJP claimed that Bappa Aditya Sinha who is a shareholder of Newsclick is also an IT official of CPI. The BJP spokesperson ended by saying, “Despite all this, India will win this fight”.
As per media reports, the Enforcement Directorate is probing into the source of funds of news portal Newsclick. The news portal has reportedly received funds majorly from one Neville Roy Singham who allegedly paid Rs 38 crore to Newsclick between 2018 and 2021.
Singham was reportedly alleged to be associated with the propaganda arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and that most of the money received by Newsclick has been shown as ‘export of services’.
A Chinese propagandist of Communist Party of China has reportedly invested money in Singham’s Worldwide Media Holidays, LLC, Delaware USA which in turn infused funds into PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd. Around Rs. 10 crores was allegedly laundered by PPK Newsclick.
Sambit Patra said, “Newsclick matter is so shocking on many levels. It goes by the name PPK Newsclick. They have been receiving Foreign Direct Investment of Rs.10 crores from Worldwide Media Limited (WWM). Petra and Singham were part of these firms. Through the way of hawala the funding of such dubious activities was done. To legalise the funding the share value was inflated to Rs.11000. Rs.28.46 crores has been collected from various organisations funded by the United States. “
In February, the ED reportedly conducted raids at the office of Newsclick in Saidulajab, Delhi. Raids were also made by the ED in at the residences of its owner and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha and Editor Pranjal in connection with alleged foreign funding received by the news organisation.
While NewsClick (newsclick.in) claims to be an “independent media organization dedicated to cover news from India and elsewhere with a focus on progressive movements”, founded in 2009. The Editor-in-Chief, Purkayastha also denied funding by the Communist Party of China
Given the rampant campaign by leftist-oriented news portals against India’s vaccination policy by trying to create vaccine hesitancy and running down indigenously made Bharat Biotech Covaxin while running advertorial columns masquerading as news for US-based Pharma Pfizer with extortionary record raised a lot of questions on their integrity.
There were several news reports hailing Chinese policy and their role in Egypt, Africa etc in the Newsclick playing like a propaganda mouthpiece of the CPC. The Hindu newspaper several times carry full page paid propaganda material by the Chinese Global Times as news.
The propaganda run by leftist portals like Wire runing an anti-India, anti-Hindu agenda under the garb of speaking truth to the power. The Newsclick case is perhaps the tip of the iceberg and Indian agencies need to uncover the financial dealings of such nefarious news portals which amplify anti-India agenda with monetary inducements from forces inimical to India.
News input: Newsroompost, Republic world
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