"Speaking Truth In Amrit Kaal Is Biggest Crime": Mehbooba Mufti On NewsClick Raids

 Peoples Democratic Party Chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday condemned the Delhi police raids on the premises of NewsClick, saying, "speaking the truth in Amrit Kaal is the biggest crime".

Speaking to ANI, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said, "We condemn it. In BJP's 'Amrit Kaal', speaking the truth is the biggest crime."

"They (NewsClick) were questioning the government. They were asking questions about the 2 crore jobs, Rs 15 lakh, which was to be deposited in the bank accounts of people, inflation, women athlete protests and the MP (Brij Bhushan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by female wrestlers) who is walking free," she said.

She said, "It seems whoever dares to question the government is put behind bars or booked under UAPA".

Meanwhile, speaking to the media in Bhubaneshwar, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the investigating agencies were doing their job.

"The investigating agencies are doing their job. If the agency has taken action, then it must have been based on evidence or a specific complaint," the minister said.

Delhi police on Tuesday raided different premises linked to NewsClick in a case registered under UAPA on August 17.

The investigation, which is still underway was launched on the basis of information from central agencies. Sources also said that an FIR was filed at the New Delhi Range of Delhi Police special cell against NewsClick.

As part of the investigation, editor of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha and writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh were brought to the special cell offices in the national capital today.

Sources said that the first meeting before launching the crackdown was held by the top officials of the special cell on Monday (October 2). The meeting was attended by over 200 police personnel at 2 am at the special cell office in Lodhi colony.

Apart from Senior Officials, the mobile handsets of Junior officials were kept at the station, to hide any leaked information.

The special team carried out raids at more than 30 locations, sources said, adding that suspects were marked in the A, B, and C categories.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, teams of the Delhi Police special cell & Mumbai police conducted searches at the residence of activist Teesta Setalvad.

The raids are being conducted on a case registered on August 17 under UAPA and other sections of IPC, which include UAPA, 153A of IPC (promoting enmity between two groups), and 120 B of IPC (criminal conspiracy).

The raid team on Tuesday morning also reached at Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury's residence to question his staffer Sri Narayan's son Sunmit Kumar. The raid team seized the mobile, laptop, and hard drive of Sunmit Kumar, who works at NewsClick, sources said.

Earlier on August 10 a report in the New York Times had alleged that NewsClick was part of a global network that receives funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham.

Mr Singham is known as a socialist benefactor of far-left causes, and is at the centre of a lavishly funded influence campaign that defends China and pushes its propaganda. Neville Roy Singham is said to have close ties to the Chinese government media machine.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)