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Sena’s Sanjay Raut hits out at BJP over Arnab arrest issue
Raut, in his weekly column RokhThok in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana, alleged that the entire Union cabinet, except Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and BJP chief ministers backed Goswami.
Sanjay Raut, chief spokesperson of the Shiv Sena and a member of the Rajya Sabha (RS), on Sunday launched a full frontal attack on the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its agitation against Republic TV editor-in-chief (EiC) and prime time anchor Arnab Goswami’s arrest in the 2018 case of abetment to suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik (53).
Raut alleged that the BJP stopped journalists from entering western Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Hathras district, where a Dalit teenager (19) was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by four upper-caste men in September.
The party arrested and slapped cases against those journalists, who wrote against its leaders, he further alleged. He said the same party was talking about the freedom of press.
Raut, in his weekly column RokhThok in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana, alleged that the entire Union cabinet, except Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and BJP chief ministers backed Goswami.
Goswami was arrested in Mumbai by Raigad police on November 4 morning after a high drama.
After his arrest several top BJP leaders unleashed a coordinated attack at the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government (MVA), comprising the coalition partners the Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, for allegedly muzzling the media.
They alleged that Goswami was singled out for his criticism of the MVA government.
The BJP launched demonstrations across Maharashtra and protests against his arrest.
Raut, who is also the executive editor of Saamana, wrote, “A suicide note written by [Anvay] Naik named Goswami holding him responsible for his death. The then BJP government hushed up the case, despite tell-tale evidence. Investigating the suppressed case has become a crime? How does the arrest of Goswami become an attack on the freedom of press? The entire Union cabinet, barring the PM, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states stood beside Goswami, while the voice of Naik’s wife and daughter were suppressed.”
Goswami denies the charges against him and alleges harassment by the state administration.
