Expressing solidarity with Newsclick, over 700 eminent citizens have taken strong exception to what they have described as the spurious accusations levelled against the online news portal and its founder and Editor-in-Chief, Prabir Purkayastha, based on claims published in a New York Times report.
Among the signatories to a statement released on Wednesday on their behalf are senior journalists, leaders of people’s movements, a former judge, lawyers, academics, scientists, writers, artists, filmmakers and actors. “We, the undersigned, strongly protest the targeting of Newsclick and express our solidarity with the struggle to defend our Constitutional right to freedom of speech,” it said.
“Since its inception, Newsclick has provided critical coverage of government policies and actions and their adverse impact on the lives of millions of our countrymen and women, focussing particularly on the struggles of the most oppressed and exploited sections of our society, its workers and peasants. It has sought to articulate their anguish and distress and to highlight the role of people’s movements of all hues fighting for social justice,” read the statement.
