Another face-off has begun between the BJP and the opposition parties after Delhi police started conducting raids at different premises of NewsClick in an alleged case of Chinese funding. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Tuesday said that he need not justify raids being conducted by Delhi police as agencies are free to carry out probes if anyone has committed anything wrong. He was responding to a question by a reporter about the searches Delhi police is conducting at around 30 locations linked to the news portal NewsClick in Delhi-NCR.


"I don't need to justify... If anyone has committed anything wrong, search agencies are free to carry out investigations against them under set guidelines... the minister added.






NewsClick is alleged to have received dubious funds to spread Chinese propaganda as alleged by a report in the New York Times, the PTI reported. Over 30 locations linked to NewsClick were raided as per sources, as reported by news agency ANI.






ANI reported citing sources that the ongoing raids are based on a case registered on 17th August under UAPA and other sections of IPC. Sources told the agency that the case has been registered under sections of UAPA, 153A of IPC (promoting enmity between two groups), 120B of IPC (Criminal conspiracy).


Reacting to the development, BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam said, "Strict actions will be taken on NewsClick or any other agency that will work on the funds from foreign countries to break the country. China does not want to see our country grow and it is trying to use anti-national agencies against the country..."


Congress, meanwhile, said that the raids suggest PM Narendra Modi is "scared" and "nervous".


"PM Modi is scared, nervous. Especially from those people who question him on his failures and failures. Be it opposition leaders or journalists, those who speak the truth will be harassed. Today again the raid on journalists is proof of this," the party said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).​






Party MP Pramod Tiwari condemned the action and said, "I feel that dictatorship has come... This is a message from the BJP to all the journalists. We are in support of free journalism. We strongly condemn these raids".


RJD MP Manoj Jha called the raid the 'most unfortunate thing', asked why Delhi police is being called out as they are under Amit Shah and "nothing takes place without his consent".


"This is the most unfortunate thing... Why are you calling them Delhi Police... They are under HM Amitv Shah and nothing takes place without his consent... Those who deny to join their (BJP) 'Bhajan Mandali', they do like this against them... What are they trying to show from all these... This incident will be written in the history and this step of the government will cost them..." Jha said.






Meanwhile, some journalists associated with the news portal 'NewsClick' have been brought at the Delhi Police Special Cell office at Lodhi Road. 






PTI reported that officials in the know said police have recovered the dump data from laptops and mobile phones of the journalists of the news portal. The portal is said to have received funds from US millionaire Neville Roy Singham for pro-China propaganda in India, the agency mentioned.






Advocate for NewsClick writer Urmilesh, Gaurav Yadav has meanwhile reached the Delhi Police Special Cell office. "Urmilesh's wife informed me that he has been arrested by Delhi Police. I have no other details as of now," he said.