New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) The BJP on Tuesday said that the law will take its course in the NewsClick portal funding case but the Congress, which imposed Emergency in the past and recently "banned" 14 journalists, should not preach about free speech and freedom of press.

“Congress preaching about the press is like Satan preaching about scriptures,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.

Also Read | Delhi Police Seal Office of NewsClick After Questioning Journalists for Hours in Foreign Funding Case.

Delhi Police Special Cell on Tuesday searched 30 locations connected with online news portal NewsClick and its journalists in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda.

Opposition bloc INDIA strongly condemned the raids and alleged that the BJP government's "coercive" actions are directed only against those who speak truth to power and not against those who spread hatred and divisiveness.

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The Congress alleged that the raids on journalists were a "fresh distraction" from the "explosive" findings of the caste survey in Bihar and the growing demand for a caste census across the country.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said probe agencies in the country are independent and work as per law.

“I need not justify the raid. If someone has done something wrong, probe agencies work on it... Nowhere is it written that if you have got money through illegal manner or done something objectionable, then probe agencies cannot investigate that,” he told reporters in Odisha.

“The probe agencies are independent and they work as per the law,” he stressed in response to queries at a press conference there.

Poonawalla said the law will take its course in the Newsclick funding case and raked up the imposition of Emergency by Congress to slam the opposition party for coming out in support of the news portal.

Former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had, in fact, curtailed freedom of speech in the first amendment to the Constitution, he charged.

“Today, it's amply clear that the organisation (NewsClick) received Rs 38 crore illegally through Neville Roy Singham, who was acting as a front for China.

"And this money was used to propel and push Chinese propaganda on any issue to bolster the image of China and undermine India and its position on key and critical issues,” Poonawalla alleged.

“This entire conspiracy has been unveiled,” he added.

Slamming the Congress for coming out in support of the news portal, Poonawalla said it should be “the last party lecturing about free speech and press freedom”.

“Those who have put 14 journalists on a banned list and a hit list are talking about freedom of speech. Those who came up with Emergency and censored media are talking about freedom of speech and freedom of press,” he charged.

Poonwalla alleged that Congress has come out in defence of the Newsclick despite “so much evidence” available against the news portal because the opposition itself “articulates” a similar script on these issues.

“The INC (Indian National Congress) now means ‘I need Chinese MoU, I need Chinese money. I need Chinese propaganda.

"The Congress is linked to China with funds they received from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and with the MoU that Rahul Gandhi signed with the Chinese,” he charged.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)