<p>An association of digital media organisations condemned on Tuesday the searches carried out by the Delhi Police at the offices of news portal <em>The Wire</em> and the houses of its editors on the basis of a complaint filed by BJP leader Amit Malviya.</p>.<p>In a statement, Digipub News India Foundation claimed that the searches "mainly serve the purpose of criminalising and creating a chilling effect against the profession of journalism in India".</p>.<p>"A journalist or a media organisation that publishes a false report ought to be held accountable by its peers and civil society," the statement said.</p>.<p>"But for the police to carry out an immediate and arbitrary search of the media house's office and its editors' homes, based entirely on a private complaint of defamation filed by a spokesperson of the ruling party, smacks of malafide intentions," it added.</p>.<p>It noted that Malviya's complaint was regarding a series of stories published by <em>The Wire </em>about social media company Meta, claiming that he had special censorship privileges through an Instagram programme called "X-Check".</p>.<p><em>The Wire</em> had retracted the said articles last month, claiming that it was deceived by a member of its investigative team.</p>.<p>The Delhi Police carried out searches at the houses of the portal's founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan and deputy editor M K Venu on Monday.</p>.<p>A senior police officer said searches were conducted at the office of "The Wire" as well and all electronic devices relevant for the probe were seized. </p>
<p>An association of digital media organisations condemned on Tuesday the searches carried out by the Delhi Police at the offices of news portal <em>The Wire</em> and the houses of its editors on the basis of a complaint filed by BJP leader Amit Malviya.</p>.<p>In a statement, Digipub News India Foundation claimed that the searches "mainly serve the purpose of criminalising and creating a chilling effect against the profession of journalism in India".</p>.<p>"A journalist or a media organisation that publishes a false report ought to be held accountable by its peers and civil society," the statement said.</p>.<p>"But for the police to carry out an immediate and arbitrary search of the media house's office and its editors' homes, based entirely on a private complaint of defamation filed by a spokesperson of the ruling party, smacks of malafide intentions," it added.</p>.<p>It noted that Malviya's complaint was regarding a series of stories published by <em>The Wire </em>about social media company Meta, claiming that he had special censorship privileges through an Instagram programme called "X-Check".</p>.<p><em>The Wire</em> had retracted the said articles last month, claiming that it was deceived by a member of its investigative team.</p>.<p>The Delhi Police carried out searches at the houses of the portal's founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan and deputy editor M K Venu on Monday.</p>.<p>A senior police officer said searches were conducted at the office of "The Wire" as well and all electronic devices relevant for the probe were seized. </p>