New Delhi: Hours after being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court, Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami went on air late Wednesday night and hit out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
“Uddhav Thackeray, I have a message for you. You have been defeated,” said Goswami, in an address to colleagues and the audience from the Republic TV newsroom.
“Uddhav Thackeray, you arrested me in an old, fake case and did not even apologise to me,” he said, adding that the “game was on”.
Goswami was arrested on 4 November in a case of alleged abetment to suicide, dating back to 2018 and involving Anvay Naik, a Mumbai-based interior designer and his mother Kumud Naik. Naik and his mother were found dead on 5 August 2018 and in a suicide note found on the spot, he had accused Goswami and two others of failing to pay his dues.
The case was closed by Raigad Police in April 2019 apparently due to lack of evidence. In May this year, however, the Maharashtra home ministry announced a fresh investigation in the case on a complaint filed by Naik’s daughter, Adnya.
After his arrest, Goswami was sent to a 14-day judicial custody the same day by the chief judicial magistrate of the Alibaug trial court. He filed a plea with the Bombay High Court but after a six-hour-long marathon hearing the High Court refused to grant Goswami interim bail.
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‘I’m not alone’
On Wednesday night, Goswami also announced the expansion of the Republic Network in every state in multiple languages within a year and said that he would launch an international media venture within 16-17 months.
“Stop if you can, Uddhav Thackeray… I can also launch from jail and you can’t do anything,” Goswami said.
“Because I’m not alone… my team and people of India are with me…” he added.
He also launched a direct challenge at the chief minister, saying, “You can’t touch the Republic Media Network.”
“If you have a problem with our ideology, face-to-face fight on TV, in front of people and do not backstab. You made an illegal arrest and till now not even once you have apologised,” he said.
Goswami also noted that journalists and those working in media organisations were being treated like terrorists.
“Shame on you Uddhav Thackeray for doing this,” he said, adding that “we are not terrorists. You are the ones who think you can use and misuse the law.”
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‘People of India are with Republic Network’
Goswami also took on Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh in his address and said that he had earned the support of people with 24-25 years of hard work and journalism.
“People of India are with Republic Network, and not with you,” he noted.
Earlier, the Mumbai Police had registered a case against Republic TV and two other channels for allegedly manipulating TRP data to boost advertising revenues.
Later, the Mumbai Police had also booked senior editors and staff of the channel for airing news about a “revolt” within the force against Singh.
“I am proud of this channel’s reportage in the Hathras rape case, actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case and on the lynching of saints on Palghar earlier this year,” said Goswami.
He also noted that he did not owe an explanation to any politician who had a problem with his channel’s journalism.
Goswami thanked his team and said he is “out there” because his team kept the fight going for the last eight days, noting that his colleagues were “more courageous” than ever.
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