NewsClick funding scam: Neville Singham 'email exchanges' with CPI(M) Prakash Karat revealed

The nexus of Congress, China, NewsClick and CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat has come to fore via a chain of email. The email exchanges between Neville Roy Singham, an American millionaire, with editor of Prabir Purkayastha, various journalists and CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat have surface online.

The mails focused on Defending China’s position on COVID, supporting farmers’ protests in India, collaborating with Indian communists, promoting Chinese propaganda and defending border clashes with India.

Sharing the email conversation, BJP leader Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, said, “This evidence tells China’s involvement in crafting Covid-related propaganda articles for publication on #Newsclick, as revealed in Neville Roy’s email correspondence with Prabir, journalists and CPIM leader Prakash Karat.”

“The dirty Nexus of Congress, China and communist,” he added.

The subject of email from Singham read, “Research for three articles series on China and its handling of the virus (and new request)”

“We are working together on a three-part series of articles on China and the handling of the corona virus. They will be originally syndicated by Globetrotter. Then all three will be assembled into a TriContinental publication,” the email read.

“The second article is going to discuss how China learned quickly when handling the crisis,” the email further stated.

Through the mail Roy asked Prabir, “Can we also have a timeline of number of tests and number of people who tested positive. This will give us a sense China identified the virus genetic sequence, developed the kits, and ramped their production and the testing.”

“A contrast to countries like US and India, who with so much lead time are still unable to ramp up kit production or production,” Roy asked Prabir.

It even asked the recipients to “not to circulate any of these materials outside this group.”

On Monday, the BJP alleged that the Congress, news portal NewsClick and China were linked to an “anti-India umbilical cord” with Union Minister Anurag Thakur citing a report by The New York Times to claim that companies linked to China were funding the news website.

The name of Neville Roy Singham also emerged in NYT report which claimed that NewsClick was part of a global network that received funding from Singham, to allegedly spread Chinese propaganda in India.

BJP slams Congress, CPI(M) for supporting anti-India campaigns run by NewsClick

BJP’s Nishikant Dubey on Tuesday reiterated his party’s allegations against Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress for supporting anti-India campaigns run by NewsClick.

Dubey also alleged the involvement of Karat in supporting the Chinese-funded agenda and said he has proof of the former CPI(M) chief’s involvement in the NewsClick scandal.

Dubey stated that Karat had exchanged several emails with Singham, who funded the Indian media portal NewsClick to propagate “left ideology” across the country.

The BJP leader also hinted towards the involvement of Karat in the recent scandal that was unearthed by the New York Times.

“If NewsClick’s name has been restored (in yesterday’s speech), what is your problem? Former CPI(M) chief Prakash Karat had exchanged several emails with Singham. I can put them on record. CPI(M) is an anti-national party,” said Dubey while addressing the Lok Sabha during the no-confidence motion on Tuesday.

With inputs from agencies