BJP alleges Newsclick's only agenda is to defame India using foreign funding

By Deepika Rathour Chauhan
New Delhi [India], July 18 : After Enforcement Directorate probe into Newsclick's funding revealed alleged 'violation' of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms and its connection with China, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) on Sunday accused the media portal of defaming India and spreading foreign propaganda in the country using foreign funding.
Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the motive of some portals, which run under the cover of media, is to create unrest in the country.
He said there is an international conspiracy in the form of an international toolkit with an objective to spread anti-India propaganda.
"'Newsclick' is a portal, which tries to portray itself as a media house. It received crores of rupees from abroad in a suspicious manner with a motive to portray India's system and government as a failed one and spread foreign propaganda in India," Patra said.
"The motive of some so-called activists and portals which run the portal under the cover of media, some foreign forces, and some mainstream politicians, is to create unrest, confusion, and chaos in the country. They work very strategically and in incoordination. This is a part of the international toolkit. It would not be wrong to point out that apart from a domestic toolkit there is an existence of an international conspiracy in the form of an international toolkit," he said.
The Enforcement Directorate probe into money laundering case against media portal Newsclick has said that the company allegedly laundered funds up to Rs 9.59 crore in FDI "at artificially enhanced prices" in violation of the foreign direct investment norms for the news media outlets which also require that CEO of the company would have to be an Indian citizen and that all foreign employees working for more than 60 days would need a security clearance.
The BJP leader said that India's vaccination policy was criticised by some portals and organisations through foreign funding.
"All over the world, our vaccine policy was appreciated, the vaccine friendship was appreciated. Some people, some organisations and some portals have tried to defame our country and our vaccine policy. This was happening through foreign funding," he said.
Speaking further on Newsclick, Patra said: "Newsclick matter is shocking on so many levels. It goes by the name 'Ppk Newsclick'. They have been receiving Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of Rs 10 crores by the firm Worldwide Media Private 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 crore has been collected from various organisations funded by the United States (US)."