Who Is Neville Roy Singham? US Billionaire Who Peddled Chinese Propaganda Via NewsClick In India

An investigation by the New York Times has revealed a global network of news portals and websites propagating Chinese agenda across the globe. The report names one Neville Roy Singham as the man funding and sponsoring the whole Chinese propaganda toolkit. News web portal, NewsClick, allegedly got funded by Neville Roy Singham to spread Chinese propaganda in India, said Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Information and broadcasting, in a press conference on Monday (August 7). "Such news portals spread fake news in the name of fair news," said Union Minister Anurag Thakur speaking on the issue. The minister also said that India had launched an investigation into NewsClick earlier, but then the government was accused of stiffling press freedom.

Who is Neville Roy Singham?

Neville Roy Singham's father was a leftist academic and Singham is a logtime activist who founded Chicago-based software consultancy Thoughtworks, reported the New York Times.

The New York Times report says that even while he worked at the consultancy firm, Neville Roy Singham spoke about creating an "egalitarian corporate culture." He also spoke and lectured an employee quoted in the report on the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara durng his time at the firm.

Singham is married to Jodie Evans, a former Democratic political adviser and the co-founder of Code Pink, reported NYT.

What is Neville Roy Singham's role in spreading Chinese propaganda?

1. Spreading international propaganda toolkit helping China enhance its reputation.

2. Funded Indian website NewsClick, accused of having links with Chinese government.

3. He helped fund websites in India and other parts of the world to spread Chinese propaganda.

Government of India's response on the report

This is a complex conspiracy

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "These narratives that are put out by platforms like NewsClick and other platforms that are operating in concert are echoed almost blandly in a similar fashion by this political leader, Rahul Gandhi, who goes abroad and says exactly the same things-democracy is under danger, judiciary is compromised, EVMs are compromised. This is exactly the narrative that these platforms put out... This is a complex conspiracy. This is a network of operators being funded, being fanned by vested interests outside the country, who are opposed to India's rise."

Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, "Congress, China and NewsClick are part of an umbilical cord. In Rahul Gandhi's 'Nakli Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' Chinese goods can be seen clearly. His love for China can be seen. They were running an anti-India agenda."

"In 2021, we exposed NewsClick as to how foreign propaganda is against India. In this anti-India campaign, Congress and other opposition parties came in their support. Chinese companies were funding NewsClick through Mogul Neville Roy Singham but their salesmen were some people from India, who came in their support when action was taken against them," the minister further added.