'NewsClick expose tip of iceberg; Jairam Ramesh, Rahul Gandhi...': Jethmalani

BJP Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani said the New York Times' expose on Newsclick receiving Chinese funds is only the tip of the iceberg. Linking American businessman Neville Roy Singham with Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Rahul Gandhi, Jethmalani asked whether Jairam Ramesh and Rahul Gandhi met Neville when he was the chief technical officer of Huawei from 2001-2008 or after that.

"In 2006 #JairamRamesh published his book CHINDIA in which he first extolled Huawei. His lobbying for that entity’s interests continued at least till during his stint as Environment Minister in UPA 2. Significantly #RahulGandhi too on behalf of the INC signed an MOU in Sonia’s presence with the CCCP in 2008. All this happened during Singhams stint with Huawei. Did either or both of them meet Singham during his employment with Huawei or anytime thereafter? And what were their links? Shouldn’t NIA investigate?" Jethmalani tweeted.

Neville has been named by the NYT report and has been accused of spreading Chinese propaganda across the world. Newsclick has been named as one of the news sites that carried such reports. The expose rocked Parliament as BJP attacked the opposition over the issue.

NewsClick funding scam: What is the case?

Some emails purportedly sent by Neville Singham have come to the surface in which Singham wanted a series of articles to be published on China's steps to contain covid. India's Newsclick was one of the sites. The campaign included issues such as supporting farmers’ protests in India and collaboration with Indian communists. CPM has come under attack for its connection with NewsClick.

“Over the past 12 hours, various false and misleading allegations have been levelled against Newsclick which pertain to matters that are currently sub judice before courts in India. We respect the sanctity of the legal process and do not intend to indulge in a media trial,” NewsClick said in a statement amid the row.

NewsClick row: Gautam Navalakha, Teesta Setalvad | What Jethmalani said

“Payments were made by the portal to amongst others Gautam Navalakha & Teesta Setalvad & her family. The entire Congress & Left ecosystem - spokespersons, their godi media, SM influencers and their all too familiar band of vocal lawyers rallied behind them. Navalakha was accused of Maoist subversion in Bhima Koregaon and Teesta of fabricating evidence to indict top BJP leaders in the Gujarat riots of 2002. Now we have evidence of a clear Chinese hand behind these persons and their activities. The same ecosystem rallied behind #Newsclick during ED raids in their offices in 2021. In very recent times the same ecosystem has rallied to the cause of GN Saibaba accused of Maoist activities who was acquitted by the Nagpur High court on untenable technical grounds which was set aside by the Supreme Court. One of the judges who acquitted Saibaba resigned because the SC collegium transferred him to the Allahabad High Court. The transfer was because of intelligence inputs. Wonder what these were about?” Jethmalani wrote.