Funds came from China to disrupt India's sovereignty: Delhi Police FIR against NewsClick
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Police, in an FIR filed under anti-terror law UAPA against online news portal NewsClick, has alleged that a large amount of funds came from China to "disrupt the sovereignty of India" and cause disaffection against the country.
It also alleged that NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha conspired with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
These foreign funds were fraudulently infused by an active member of the propaganda department of the Communist Party of China, Neville Roy Singham, it claimed.
Delhi Police provided a copy of the FIR to NewsClick on Friday, a day after a city court directed it to do so.
"Chinese telecom giants like Xiaomi, Vivo, etc., incorporated thousands of shell companies in India in violation of the PMLA, FEMA for illegally infusing foreign funds in India in furtherance of this conspiracy," said the FIR, a copy of which is with PTI.
"In furtherance of this conspiracy to disrupt the sovereignty of India and cause disaffection against India, a large amount of funds was routed from China in a circuitous and camouflaged manner and paid news were intentionally peddled, criticising domestic policies, development projects of India and promoting, projecting and defending policies and programmes of the Chinese government," it said.
Navlakha has been associated with Purkhayasta since 1991 and is also a shareholder of PPK NewsClick Studio Private Limited since 2018, according to the FIR.
"Navlakha remained involved in the anti-national nexus with Ghulam Nabu Fai, who is an agent of ISI of Pakistan. Prabir, Neville and other employees of Neville's Shanghai-based company StarStream have exchanged mails which expose their intent to show that Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as not part of India," the FIR read.
"A false narrative was propagated to discredit the efforts of Indian government to contain the COVID-19 pandemic," Delhi Police said.
Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty, the human resources department head at NewsClick, have been arrested by Delhi Police under sections 13, 16, 17, 18 and 22C of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and 153A and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Tuesday.
According to police, a total of 46 people -- 37 men and nine women -- were questioned by the Delhi Police Special Cell. Journalists Urmilesh and Abhisar Sharma were questioned for a second time in the NewsClick foreign funding case.
On Tuesday, raids were conducted at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on those named in the FIR.
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Unruly scenes witnessed in Punjab Assembly
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Assembly on Friday witnessed high drama on Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira made an allegedly objectionable remark against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during an intense argument over the alleged use of mobile phone in the house by the legislator.
During the one-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Mann accused Khaira of using a mobile phone when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on the revision of wages.
After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.
The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.
Mann then asked Khaira, "Why don't you go out and then use it (mobile phone)," which led to a strong verbal altercation during which the opposition MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.
However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.
The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.
Cheema further alleged that Khaira "always tries to disturb the house" as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.
The incident occurred as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond who said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers' Day.
"Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat," the resolution read.
As per the resolution, "The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.
On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged." PRK
