NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leaders, including home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, party chief
JP Nadda and several ministers, criticised the arrest of
TV journalist Arnab Goswami by Mumbai police.
Shah said that Congress and its allies had shamed democracy once again as “blatant misuse of state power” against Republic TV and Goswami was an attack on individual freedom and the fourth pillar of democracy.
“It reminds us of the Emergency. This attack on free press must be and will be opposed,” he tweeted soon after the arrest. Rajnath Singh said the assault on Goswami was an attempt to weaken democracy and suppress the voice of dissent. “His arrest symbolises dictatorial mindset. Congress should take a cue from Emergency... several such instances of those trying to suppress the media had to pay a heavy price,” Singh said.
CMs of most states where BJP is in office termed the arrest as an attack on freedom of expression. UP CM
Yogi Adityanath mentioned Goswami’s arrest during a poll rally in Bihar. “Congress had earlier tried to stifle democracy in the country. Even today as you know, senior journalist Arnab Goswami was arrested in Mumbai at the behest of Congress, which is trying to kill democracy in India and taking steps to divert attention from its inefficiencies,” he said.
Nadda said India didn’t forgive Indira Gandhi for the Emergency and never forgot Rajiv Gandhi’s assault on press freedom. “Now, India will punish
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for their intimidating use of state power to get equal with journalists,” he said.
I&B minister
Prakash Javadekar said, “We condemn the attack on press freedom in Maharashtra. This reminds us of the Emergency days when the press was treated like this.” Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the arrest was “reprehensible, unwarranted and worrisome”. He said Sonia and Rahul had targeted the Modi government through motivated charges of attack on institutions but were completely silent on the actions of their own government in Maharashtra.