Wyanews October 3, 2023: The Delhi Police on Monday raided the office of the news website NewsClick and the homes of several journalists associated with the website, including its editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha.
The police said the raids were part of an investigation into a first information report (FIR) filed against NewsClick for allegedly publishing “fake news” and “hate speech.” The FIR was filed by a right-wing group called the Hindu Sena.
The journalists said the raids were an attempt to intimidate and harass them for their critical reporting of the government and the Hindu Sena.
“The Delhi Police raid on NewsClick is a blatant attack on press freedom,” Purkayastha said in a statement. “The government is trying to silence all critical voices.”
The raids have been condemned by press freedom groups and journalists’ unions. The Editors Guild of India said the raids were a “dangerous escalation” in the government’s crackdown on press freedom.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for the immediate release of any journalists who may have been detained in the raids.
“The Indian authorities should immediately drop all charges against NewsClick and its journalists,” CPJ said in a statement. “The raids are a clear attempt to intimidate and silence independent media.”
The raids on NewsClick are the latest in a series of attacks on the press in India. In recent years, the government has cracked down on critical media outlets, using laws such as the sedition law and the defamation law to silence its critics.
The raids on NewsClick raise important questions about press freedom in India. The government must ensure that journalists are allowed to report freely without fear of intimidation or harassment.
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