Arnab Goswami arrest: How is it about press freedom, asks Shiv Sena

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders criticised the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and held protests against the arrest

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders criticised the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and held protests against the arrest of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami in a 2018 suicide abetment case, the Shiv Sena asked if the journalist was a BJP functionary.

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Transport minister and Sena leader Anil Parab said, “This case is not connected to the freedom of press in any manner. BJP workers and leaders are screaming and crying as if Goswami is their functionary and he was falsely arrested. He has been arrested in the case for further investigation. Where does the question of freedom of press arise?... The investigation in the cases has restarted after a court order.”

“The question here is why is BJP shielding Arnab Goswami. A Marathi woman lost her husband… The BJP is shielding a man because of whom the woman has lost her husband and are giving it an angle of emergency and attack on freedom of the press,” he said, adding why “there was no hue and cry over the arrests of two other accused in the case”.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil termed the arrest an “Emergency-like situation”, saying party workers in Maharashtra will wear black badges or black clothes until Goswami is released. Patil staged an agitation in Nagpur.

Earlier in the day, Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut asserted the arrest of Goswami was as per the law. “The Maharashtra government never takes revenge, so it is not appropriate to use this term. The law is followed in Maharashtra and there is no place for anarchy here. Police can take action if they have evidence against anyone.”

Parab said the state government would inquire why the case was not investigated properly when it came to light. “Strict action will be taken against those police officers who are found to be guilty to suppress the case. The government will inquire into this matter,” he said.