On the news of raids and arrests of journalists associated with the news website Newsclick in India and allegations of funding from China to the online portal, America has said that it is a supporter of the strong role of media in a transparent democracy.

Vedanta Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, said the State Department could not comment on "the veracity of claims" that NewsClick has ties to the Chinese government.

Vedanta Patel said during the daily briefing that the US government has previously discussed with the Indian government and others the importance of respecting the human rights of journalists, including freedom of expression.

The newspaper 'The Hindu' has said in one of its news that he has spoken to a spokesperson of the National Security Council of US President Joe Biden.

On the allegations against Newsclick, the spokesperson said, "We have appealed to the Government of India to respect the rights of journalists, including freedom of expression online and offline."

The spokesperson told "The Hindu" that the US administration is aware of the allegations that NewsClick has Chinese links but declined to comment on the veracity of those claims. He said that the US President strongly supports the role of media in a transparent democracy.

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