Patna: Condemning the Delhi police action against news portal NewsClick which has been accused of receiving money for pro-China propaganda, leaders of the ruling Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar on Tuesday claimed that the move exposed the BJP's nervousness to face the Lok Sabha polls next year.
Mahagathbandhan leaders also participated in a march taken out in protest against the Delhi police action and blamed the Union Home Ministry, which controls the Delhi police, for the searches on NewsClick premises and detention of its journalists "who have been known for objectivity and the courage to speak truth to power".
The march was taken out under the banner of All India People's Forum, a Left-leaning citizens' group. Those who took part included CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, RJD national vice president and former assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary and Neeraj Kumar, MLC and spokesperson of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U).
Veteran socialist leader Shivanand Tiwary, the national vice president of RJD which helms the ruling alliance, also expressed anguish over the development. "The Narendra Modi government is trying to create an atmosphere of terror through the searches on the office of NewsClick and detention of journalists associated with it. I am sure none of them will be cowed down by such tactics. We deplore these incidents," said Tiwary.
He asserted that the commitment of all these journalists towards the nation and the society has been above reproach. Among them, Urmilesh is well known in the journalistic circles of Patna where he had worked for a long time. It is inconceivable that any of these senior journalists can act in a manner that would be detrimental to national interests, the RJD leader said.
"The Modi government is betraying the nervousness it feels in facing the Lok Sabha polls next year. It maintains a vice-like grip on mainstream news channels. It has now turned its gaze towards those independently analyzing politics on YouTube," added the RJD leader. Neeraj Kumar told reporters: "The incident would have an adverse impact on the global image of the country, especially with respect for press freedom. We demand an immediate stop to intimidation of journalists".
Bhattacharya alleged: The Modi government wants to make the journalists bow down before its might and also strike terror in the hearts of other journalists who wish to practice their profession with integrity." The CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary also charged the ruling BJP at the Centre with patronising that section of the press which acts as cheerleaders.
Earlier, in a post on X, he asserted that these journalists and several other writers, artists and activists are being subjected to the Modi government's campaign of intimidation and persecution. The CPI(ML)-L leader also shared a party poster with slogans like "hate mongers and fake news peddlers given a free hand, but journalists with a spine threatened and intimidated".
"Stop the vindictive raiding. Drop all false charges", said another slogan on the poster which also carried photographs of some of the journalists of NewsClick with the caption "cost of speaking the truth under Modi regime". Delhi Police's Special Cell on Tuesday morning conducted raids at 30 premises connected with NewsClick as well as its journalists' houses, triggering outrage among scribes.
