'Congress, China...part of one umbilical cord': Anurag Thakur on NewsClick funding report

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday attacked the Congress party, alleging that it had, with other parties supported NewsClick, a news media portal famously known for peddling fake stories.

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According to the Union Minister, when the portal was investigated by Central agencies, the Opposition had jumped to its defence.

NEWSCLICK'S TIES WITH CONGRESS

• NewsClick has been pro-Congress and have several times attempted to portray the Central government as fascist, without evidence.

• The ED's raid on NewsClick had been covered by the National Herald (owned by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi) and the portal in turn had reported on the raids on the Herald with much indignation.

• Following the ED raid, the party's senior spokesperson came out in support of this Chinese propaganda factory.

• The recent Opposition alliance, INDIA has allies which have previously colluded with NewsClick. Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party-which is allied with INDIA-Arvind Kejriwal and jailed Manish Sisodia feature as partners in a NGO that funded the portal.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, slammed the Congress for supporting the portal, after a New York Times report highlighted Chinese funding to the platform, aimed at spreading Beijing’s propaganda. Addressing a press conference in the capital, Thakur alleged that China had signed an agreement with the Congress party and made payments to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation during the regime of the UPA.