How Tech Mogul Neville Roy Singham Pushed Chinese Propaganda in India Via NewsClick

A New York Times probe has blown the lid off a wide web of Chinese propaganda at the behest of tech mogul Neville Roy Singham — who financed news website NewsClick — confirming India’s fears of anti-national elements colluding with foreign powers.

In 2021, an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate had revealed that media portal NewsClick had received funds worth Rs 38 crore from abroad, with authorities tracing the money trail to American millionaire Singham. The BJP had then alleged that “anti-India” elements, in league with foreign forces, were “part of a conspiracy to demean the country and target the ruling Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government”.

Now, the new probe has confirmed concerns, with NYT saying corporate filings revealed that “NewsClick sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points”.

As per NYT, the investigation has revealed how China, via its propaganda network, has been able to shelter itself from international criticism of its human rights abuses.

Who is Neville Roy Singham, Tech Millionaire Who Spun Complex Web of Chinese Propaganda in India

“It is part of a lavishly funded influence campaign that defends China and pushes its propaganda. At the center is a charismatic American millionaire, Neville Roy Singham, who is known as a socialist benefactor of far-left causes,” the New York Times said.

The New York Times probe of Singham’s network showed the process of how disinformation influenced mainstream discourses as his groups produced YouTube videos to promote pro-Chinese messages.

American non-profit groups form the core strength of the network, weaving in a web of charities and shell companies. Some groups, like No Cold War, do not exist as legal entities but are instead tied to Singham’s network through domain registration records and shared organisers, NYT said.

Apart from this, “none of Singham’s nonprofits have registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as is required of groups (in the US) that seek to influence public opinion on behalf of foreign powers. That usually applies to groups taking money or orders from foreign governments,” the probe found.

India Today, quoting the probe, said four non-profit organisations, with names like “United Community Fund” and “Justice and Education Fund, were found to have almost no real-world footprints. “Their addresses were listed as UPS store mailboxes in Illinois, Wisconsin and New York.” The largest of the four nonprofits is run by Singham’s wife, Jodie Evans.

Allegations Unfounded, Without Basis in Fact or Law: NewsClick

In a statement to News18, NewsClick said the allegations being made against them by certain political actors and sections of the media are unfounded and without basis in fact or law.

“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. The allegations being made against us by certain political actors and sections of the media are unfounded and without basis in fact or law,” read the statement.

Newsclick said it is an independent news organisation, and any insinuation that they function as a “mouth-piece of the Communist Party of China or other interests” is false.

“We reiterate our faith in the Indian Courts and are confident that Newsclick has, and continues to function in accordance with Indian law. Notably, the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi has, having found a prima facie case in favour of Newsclick, granted interim protection from arrest to various officials of the company. Further, the Hon’ble Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Special Acts), Delhi, has dismissed a complaint filed by the income tax authorities against Newsclick, finding the same to be without merit,” the statement said.

THE ED PROBE

NewsClick — run by PPK Newsclick Studio Private Limited — was searched by officials of the Enforcement Directorate on February 9, 2021, to collect additional information to help probe money laundering charges against the company.

The search lasted five days and a total of 10 premises were covered, including the residence of Prabir Purkayastha, the promoter of the company.

The ED claimed that PPK had received questionable foreign remittances amounting to Rs 38 crore. These remittances were classified as FDI of Rs 9.59 crore from April 2018, and remaining Rs 28.29 crore, was claimed to have been received for receipts for “export of services”.

THE MONEY TRAIL

PPL Newsclick Studio Private Limited was incorporated on January 11, 2018, by Prabir Purkayastha. In April 2018, Worldwide Media Holdings LLC, Delaware — now a defunct company and part of Singham network — invested Rs 9.59 crore into the newly incorporated PPK Newsclick against shares of face value Rs 10/share at an artificially jacked up premium of Rs 11,510/share.

Subsequently, NewsClick received Rs 28.29 crore more between 2018 and 2021 for the export of services from four different entities linked to Singham network:

• Rs 27.51 crore from Justice and Education Fund, USA

• Rs 26.98 lakhs from GSPAN LLC, USA

• Rs 49.31 lakhs from The Tricontinental Ltd Inc, USA

• Rs 2.03 lakhs Centro Popular Demidas, Brazil

Of the funds thus received by PPK, transfers were made as follows: Rs 20.53 lakh was transferred to Gautam Navlakha, the accused in Elgar-Parishad Moist link in Bhima Koregaon case. Navlakha, besides being an old associate of Purkayastha in Startacus Software Private Limited or SSPL, was appointed as an “Independent Partner” of PP NEWSCLICK STUDIO LLP where he was appointed to the position on April 17, 2017 – approximately nine months before PPK’s corporatisation on January 11, 2018 — 10 days after Bhima Koregaon violence.

Further, Rs 52.09 lakh were paid to Bappaditya Sinha, CPM IT cell member and large sums of money were also paid to several journalists on the rolls of the company.

ED raids also helped unearth regular email exchanges between Singham and Purkayastha, revealing that money was paid to NewsClick to spruce up Chinese propaganda, especially its role in Africa, defending China’s crackdown on Jack Ma etc.

As per the New York Times probe, the Chinese state media accounts have retweeted people and organisations in Singham’s network at least 122 times since February 2020.

GOVT REACTS

In a press conference on Monday, Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur hit out at the Congress for supporting anti-India elements.

“We have been saying this about NewsClick. Congress, China and NewsClick are part of the same conspiracy. This is propaganda to break India. This ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’ has ‘China ka Samaan’. Roy Singham funded NewsClick. He is being funded by China and now this has been revealed by a newspaper which was praised by Congress in the past. The funding is coming from China, but their salesman are Indian. In the name of free news, it is fake news,” Thakur said.

He added: “Foreign media has exposed the reality of Congress, China and NewsClick today. If ED conducts investigations, these foreign newspapers raise questions. Rahul Gandhi was with Chinese diplomats when Doklam happened. The Rajiv Gandhi foundation got funding from China. We saw in Cambridge how Rahul Gandhi praised China. The Indian American Muslim Council, who hosted Rahul Gandhi, was also in support of NewsClick. Many senior journalist have also got money to propagate China’s agenda.”

The issue also resonated in Parliament, with BJP MP Nishikant Dubey saying, “Money from China came into NewsClick. An environment was created against the government using Chinese funds.”

Posting a clip of his speech in Lok Sabha on social media, Dubey said, “The Congress party’s policy is to break India… the Election Commission should investigate the Chinese funding of the Congress party and close the Congress’s shop.”

“The shop of Rahul’s hatred is filled with Chinese goods. The policy of the Congress party aims to collaborate with China to break India. The investigation of the Congress party’s funding from China should be conducted by the Election Commission of the Indian government,” said Dubey in Lok Sabha.

Shortly after Dubey’s comments in 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.

SINGHAM’S ‘PERSONAL VIEWS’

Asked by NYT about his ties to Chinese propaganda, Singham did not offer substantive answers. “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. “I am solely guided by my beliefs, which are my long-held personal views.”