Raids on NewsClick BJP's attempt to 'persecute and suppress' media, says Opposition

Condemning the raids on NewsClick, the Opposition I.N.D.I.A on Tuesday said the BJP government’s “coercive” actions are “invariably directed against” only those media outfits and journalists that speak truth to power while it remains “paralysed” when it comes to taking action against those mediapersons who incite hatred and divisiveness.

Leaders called the raids a “sign of losing BJP” and an attempt to “hide” its failures.

In a statement, the I.N.D.I.A parties asked the government to focus on genuine issues that concern people and stop attacking the media to “distract attention from its failures” in national interest.

The parties said they steadfastly stand with the media while recalling that the BJP government has in the last nine years “deliberately persecuted and suppressed” media by deploying investigative agencies against BBC, News Laundry, Dainik Bhaskar, Bharat Samachar, The Kashmir Walla, The Wire and NewsClick.

“The BJP government has also tried to convert the media into a mouthpiece for its partisan and ideological interests by facilitating the takeover of media organisations by crony capitalists. Both the government and its ideologically aligned organisations have resorted to reprisals against individual journalists who spoke truth to power,” it said.

The parties referred to “regressive” policies like the Information Technology Rules 2021 that “constrict” the media from reporting objectively and in doing so, the BJP is “not only hiding its sins of omissions and commission” from the people but also “compromising” India’s global standing as a mature democracy. 

“The BJP government’s coercive actions are invariably directed against only those media organisations and journalists that speak truth to power. Ironically, the BJP government is paralysed when it comes to taking action against those journalists inciting hatred and divisiveness in the nation,” it added.

CPI(M), a constituent of I.N.D.I.A, also issued a separate statement calling the raids at NewsClick as a "brazen assault" on the media and the fundamental right to freedom of expression. 

“Such a large-scale authoritarian assault against media organisations and journalists who speak truth to power is totally unacceptable,” it said, calling upon all democratic minded patriots to rise in unison to protest against such a “systematic conspiracy to target, persecute and suppress” the media that is meant to be the conscience keeper.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “the raids are a sign of the losing BJP. This is not a new thing, BJP rulers have always raided honest journalists. But how many crores of rupees are being given to 'friendly channels' every month in the name of government publicity?”

Congress Media Department Chairman Pawan Khera called the searches a "fresh distraction from the explosive findings" of caste census in Bihar and the growing demand for caste census across the country. "When he (Modi) faces questions from out of syllabus, he resorts to the only counter he has in his predictable syllabus -- DISTRACTION," he posted on 'X'.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said police conducted searches at his residence on Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane as one of the party worker's sons, who works for the portal, stays there. 

“Police came to question him. They took his laptop and phone. What are they investigating, nobody knows. If this is an attempt to try and muzzle the media, the country must know the reason behind this,” he said.

RJD's senior MP Manoj K Jha described the searches as "most unfortunate". "Why are you calling them Delhi Police? They are under Amit Shah and nothing takes place without his consent. Those who refuse to join their (BJP) 'Bhajan Mandali', they do this against them. This incident will be written in history and this step of the government will cost them," he said.

CPI General Secretary D Raja said the BJP’s crackdown on media has already brought India among the bottom 20 countries in press freedom. "These journalists questioned the government on issues like the Manipur crisis, Adani revelations and communalisation of society. They are being intimidated and punished for holding the government accountable. Muzzling of the press is to hide failures of the last nine years. People see through this. Condemnable," he said.

Forward Bloc General Secretary G Devarajan said, "the government must realize that democracy can only be effective if dissent and criticism are taken into account. Conducting raids in the homes and offices of the journalists who criticize the policies of the government is tantamount to intimidation."