BJP attributes Arnab Goswami’s arrest to ‘characteristic of Italian mafia’

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday blasted the Congress leadership and Maharashtra government for the arrest of noted TV anchor and journalist Arnab Goswami and said this could be attributed to the typical “characteristic feature of Italian mafia”.

“Is this politics of love ?…Soniaji is this the love for democracy that you advocate and you write article about ? This (arrest) is the characteristic feature of Italian mafia,” BJP spokesman Sambit Patra told reporters here after the video footage of forceful arrest and detention of  Arnab Goswami, the Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, went viralon social media and television news channels.

He said, “Mafia bahar se sundar dikhta hae (Mafia would always look beautiful and attractive. It will have a well decorated exterior. They would write articles on democracy,” he said and referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim that he does only ‘politics of love’.

“…In reality you are the murderers of democracy and the words of Agatha Christie – the murders she wrote,” Sambit Patra said.

“We condemn the attack on press freedom in #Maharashtra. This is not the way to treat the Press. This reminds us of the emergency days when the press was treated like this,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted.

The Republic Editor-in-Chief has been arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 53-year-old interior designer, Anvay Naik, and his mother, in 2018. The designer had reportedly named Arnab Goswami in a suicide note and had accused Republic TV of not paying him his dues.

It may be mentioned that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in May this year had announced that the suicide was being reinvestigated after a fresh complaint by Adnya Naik, his daughter.

It was argued that the Alibaug police had not investigated Republic TV’s role in the ‘non-payment’ of dues that led to the suicide.

Home Minister Amit Shah condemned the arrest and took to Twitter and wrote, “Congress and its allies have shamed democracy once again. Blatant misuse of state power against Republic TV & Arnab Goswami is an attack on individual freedom and the 4th pillar of democracy. It reminds us of the Emergency. This attack on free press must be and WILL BE OPPOSED.”

Arnab Goswami and Republic TV have been in confrontation for the last few months on several issues.

In October, Goswami had released a statement stating false allegations have been levelled by Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh against the channel.

He had stressed that false charges have been levelled because the Republic Media Network questioned Param Bir Singh in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. He demanded that the Mumbai Police Commissioner should issue an official apology and face legal proceedings.