On Monday, chaos erupted in Lok Sabha after BJP leader Nishikant Dubey lashed out at Congress over a New York Times report that alleged a global nexus of spreading Chinese propaganda in India with the help of a political party and a news portal named NewsClick. For the unversed, New York Times in its expose alleged that the New Delhi-based media portal, Newsclick - financed by American tech mogul Neville Roy Singham - was pushing China's agenda. The US media portal further accused the Congress party of defending and supporting NewsClick during an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate in 2021 into its funding. Notably, Nishikant Dubey taking a dig at the Congress party alleged that the grand old party which has a nack of tabling facts about the US media portal has exposed them in speaking Chinese propaganda in the country. In fact, Information & Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur called 'China, Congress and NewsClick, a news portal, are part of one umbilical cord’. While a new controversy has erupted the question arises who is Neville Roy Singham or what is Neville Roy Singham accused of doing? To know the answer continue reading-
Who is Neville Roy Singham?
Neville Roy Singham is an American millionaire who is the founder and former chairman of ThoughtWorks, an IT consulting company that provides custom software, software tools, and consulting service. However, Neville Roy Singham is accused of spreading Chinese propaganda in India and around the globe. As per reports, Neville Roy Singham was born on 13 May, 1954 and he is the son of leftist academic Archibald Singham. For the unversed,
Archibald was a political science professor at City University, Brooklyn College, New York. Singham has remained active in the political fraternity since his youth days as he joined the League of Revolutionary Black Workers – a Black nationalist-Maoist group in Detroit. Notably, a few years back, Singham sold his company ThoughtWorks to a private equity firm for $785 million.
Talking about Neville Roy Singham's personal life, he married former Democratic political adviser and Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans in 2017. Notably, Neville Roy Singham's marriage was attended by celebrities including Democracy Now host Amy Goodman, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohon and Vagina Monologues’ author V (formerly known as Eve Ensler). The wedding took place in Jamaica.
Even newspapers like ‘The New York Times’ are now admitting that Neville Roy Singham and his NewsClick are dangerous tools of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and promoting China’s political agenda across the world.
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) August 6, 2023
Much before NYT, India has long been telling the world that… pic.twitter.com/3MtA4UTWkn
What Neville Roy Singham is accused of doing?
As per the US media report stated 'A Global Web of Chinese Propaganda Leads to a US Tech Mogul'. The report pointed out the name of NewsClick as being part of the global Chinese nexus in order to run the Xi Jinping government all around the world, especially in India. Notably, Singham is accused of funding the news portal dedicated to Chinese state-run media. “In New Delhi, corporate filings show, Singham’s network financed a news site, NewsClick, that sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points..‘China’s history continues to inspire the working classes,’ one video said,” the US media portal highlighted. Notably, Singham's current wearbouts is none other than Shanghai, China.
It is pertinent to mention here that Singham was contacted by the portal to respond to the allegations but he never gave any substantive answer. In an email he wrote back, "I categorically deny and repudiate any suggestion that I am a member of, work for, take orders from, or follow instructions of any political party or government or their representatives,” he wrote in an email adding, "I am solely guided by my beliefs, which are my long-held personal views.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the report pointed out the fact that Singham in June was present at a propaganda forum of the CPC.
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What Nitesh Dubey said on 'Congress, China & Newsclick'?
While addressing the Lok Sabha, Nitesh Dubey said, "They (Congress) want to divide India through Chinese forces and some media." Dubey further added, "Between 2005 and 2014, whenever there was a crisis, the Congress had received money from China. In 2008, they invited both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. In 2016, they were talking to the Chinese during the Doklam crisis." Not only this, but Dubey also took the names of Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh and Randeep Surjewala. Dubey claimed that the NYT report explained how money was given to Maoists and senior journalists.
राहुल की नफ़रत की दुकान चायनीज समान से भरी हुई है । कॉंग्रेस पार्टी की नीति चीन के साथ मिलकर भारत तोड़ने की है। कॉंग्रेस पार्टी के चीन के फ़ंडिंग की जाँच भारत सरकार के चुनाव आयोग को करके कॉंग्रेस की दुकान बंद करनी चाहिए pic.twitter.com/hAvAHSxUBr
— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) August 7, 2023
कांग्रेस, चीन और न्यूज़क्लिक एक ही गर्भनाल से जुड़े हैं! pic.twitter.com/6iokPdm9QT
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) August 7, 2023
It is pertinent to mention here that after Dubey's address at the Lok Sabha, Congress leader and MP Adhir Ranjan Choudhary wrote to Speaker Om Birla, demanding that the BJP MP’s comments be removed from the Lok Sabha’s records. “We demand under Rule 380 that his remarks be expunged in full and that an inquiry be conducted into how such an allegation was permitted to be raised on the record," Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote in his letter.