Micro-blogging website X, formerly known as Twitter, suspended the account news portal NewsClick, days after allegations of peddling Chinese propaganda in India surfaced against it.
The news portal has garnered attention following a report by The New York Times alleging financial backing from an American billionaire blending "progressive advocacy with Chinese government talking points." The report stated that NewsClick had incorporated Chinese government perspectives into its coverage, citing an instance with a video titled 'China's history continues to inspire the working classes'.
Although Prabhir Purkayastha, the owner of NewsClick, refuted allegations of the news portal functioning as a mouthpiece for the Communist Party of China or any other interests, this denial has been disregarded by various BJP MPs who have used it to criticise the portal, several journalists, and Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader. Nishikant Dubey stated in parliament that the portal is affiliated with an "anti-India gang" and a "tukde tukde gang".
Recently, the Press Club of India, the Indian Women's Press Corps, the Delhi Union of Journalists, and the Press Association issued a joint statement condemning the "witch-hunt" against NewsClick. They emphasiaed that media organisations that critically analyse government actions are not âunpatriotic or a tool of any foreign nationâ.
