The arrest of Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami this morning drew immediate condemnation from ministers in the Narendra Modi government, BJP leaders and supporters at large. That was to be expected.
However, in our polarised times, we don’t expect liberals to stand up for the freedom of a very illiberal hate-monger. Yet, we see so many liberals condemning Goswami’s arrest as an assault on freedom of speech and expression, as well as obvious political vendetta. Many liberals have made the point that they don’t agree with Arnab’s witch-hunt journalism but he doesn’t deserve to be arrested.
When liberal journalists or activists are arrested for political vendetta, we don’t see Right-wingers being so magnanimous. Nobody says, ‘I disagree with Prashant Kanojia’s politics, but he shouldn’t be arrested.’ Nobody says, ‘My politics is different from Sudha Bharadwaj’s, but she doesn’t deserve to be in jail’.
In different parts of India, so many people are facing cases or spending time in jail just because they had the temerity to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, but we don’t see a Right-winger condemning this assault on freedom for a mere difference of political opinion.
How many of these people issued even a token condemnation of the repeated arrest and harassment of a good doctor named Kafeel Khan? Rather, they have cheered such arrests. Why is it ok for Umar Khalid to rot in jail while only the arrest of Arnab Goswami is singled out for condemnation, for reminders of the Emergency and lo and behold, “fascism”?
Also read: This is the 2018 suicide abetment case behind Arnab Goswami’s arrest
Justice for Anvay Naik?
While a newspaper office in Kashmir is shut down, freedom of the press is violated only when Arnab Goswami is arrested for alleged abetment of suicide. Incidentally, Arnab Goswami led a ‘witch-hunt’ by TV channels against Rhea Chakraborty, demanding her arrest for abetment of Sushant Singh Rajput’s alleged suicide, with even insinuations of homicide, when there was no evidence.
Sushant Singh Rajput left behind no suicide note, Anvay Naik did. Anvay Naik blamed non-payment of dues by Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV and two others as the reason for taking his own life. His family has been demanding justice for him. If #JusticeForSSR was legit when Rajput didn’t even leave behind a suicide note, why not #JusticeForAnvayNaik?
Please note that Goswami has not been arrested for his comments against Sonia Gandhi or Aaditya Thackeray. He’s not being arrested for anything he said on his channel about the Palghar incident of the murder of sadhus, which he needlessly tried to communalise. He’s not been arrested for his ‘witch-hunt’ against Bollywood actors. If he was arrested for any of these, you could have said it’s an assault on free speech. He’s been arrested for alleged abetment of suicide.
When Left-liberals are put in jail as political prisoners, Right-wingers say the law will take its own course. Why not let the law ‘take its own course’ in Arnab Goswami’s case?
While Arnab’s arrest is obviously caused by politics, please also note that the suicide in question took place in 2018 when there was a BJP government in place and the Mumbai Police didn’t make much of it then. If Goswami’s arrest today in an abetment to suicide case is political vendetta, then his getting away with the same charges in 2018 can be called political protection.
In other words, Arnab Goswami is getting a taste of his own medicine. India has now officially descended into legal harassment and politically motivated cases from both sides of the political divide. That’s terrible, but who started the fire?
Also read: Maharashtra Police action against Arnab Goswami is uncivil, vindictive and self-defeating
Freedom, in other words
How many ministers in the Modi government condemned arrests of journalists in Uttar Pradesh for reporting about children being made to sweep the floor in government schools? When a journalist in Yogi Adityanath’s UP was booked and accused of criminal conspiracy for exposing how a government school was serving roti and salt for mid-day meals, where were our Right-wingers and their concern for press freedom? Why is the BJP not reminded of the Emergency when a journalist in BJP-ruled UP is killed for reporting on a land dispute?
Smriti Irani says Arnab Goswami’s arrest is “fascism” but we didn’t hear anything at all from her when a journalist in Tamil Nadu was arrested for his Covid-19 coverage. Where was Prakash Javadekar’s concern for press freedom when journalists in Kashmir were detained and allegedly assaulted by police during the Covid lockdown? When a journalist in Gujarat is arrested and charged with sedition merely for a speculative story that the state may see a change of chief minister, how many people demanded universal condemnation?
The Modi government is arguing in court that sedition charges against journalist Vinod Dua should not be dropped. His crime? Abetment of anyone’s suicide? A suicide note blaming him? No. Merely criticising the Modi government.
It is inexplicable why Arnab Goswami deserves greater freedom than Parashar Biswas, a journalist in Tripura who was beaten up after criticising Chief Minister Biplab Deb’s threat to the media on his handling of Covid-19 pandemic.
Also read: Amit Shah, Jaishankar lead BJP protest against Goswami arrest, Congress calls out ‘hypocrisy’
On principle
It makes sense for liberals to condemn the arrest of Arnab Goswami because they have been consistently condemning legal action as a form of political vendetta, the suppression of free speech, and the chilling effects on freedom of press.
Liberals spoke up for the journalist who was only doing his job in trying to cover the Hathras gangrape and murder recently. You know who was silent or even justifying their arrests? The same people who were championing Arnab Goswami’s ‘witch-hunt’ of Rhea Chakraborty on fictitious charges.
When Right-wingers speak of Arnab Goswami’s freedom, they reek of hypocrisy, because for them freedom of speech is dependent on the person’s politics. Liberals, however, are condemning Arnab Goswami’s arrest because they are in principle opposed to putting political opponents in jail.
If the Right-wing may please agree with this principle and start demanding the release of political prisoners regardless of political ideology, we’d be a freer, better, saner country.
The author is contributing editor to ThePrint. Views are personal.
actually it exposes your hypocrisy. the print ask donation for journalism. If you people don’t raise the voice because it is the arrest of Arnab goswami. You guys are blind because its Arnab Goswami. Once i thought of donating to print but actually it proves me wrong and again set my expectation right. Baki to sab janta malik hai. More good journalist should come to put some good stuff rather than broken record of anti Modi. Get over it and grow up.
No sir, it exposed Lt wing hypocrisy.
Boss you deserve some thing behind your back…. of course u will have fun
You people are so pathetic at least improve your writing skills… it appears you were so excited on Aranb’s arrest instead of writing you have pooped here
stupid logic
By trying to justify the arrest of a fellow journalist, this author (known for his bias against the ruling party) only shows the hypocracy of the left liberal cabal. By not taking the higher moral ground and condemning the arrest, you only leave the door open for a P Roy or an S Gupta to be arrested later. Modi and Shah will be having a laugh at this!
Where are those tharky modi bhakts in every comments section? Hellooooooooooooo!
suvvar author . my freedom of speech
Who started it?
The Left liberals started it. They were the ones who enjoyed the perks and privileges associated with power for an overwhelming part of independent India’s history. Their hostility, contempt and disdain for the right wing coupled woth the injustices meted out has resulted in tue situation today.
Its payback time. They will get a taste of their own medicine.
The BJP has indulged in wrong practices but the precedents for these were set by the Congress.
Payback time for left liberals ?
But it is Shiv Sena, a right wing fascist bedfellow of the BJP, that arrested Arnob. Liberals have nothing to do with it.
It is rivalry between two sets of fascist Hindus. This is how Hindus are degenerating.
This is the kind of Hindutva we like.. the fight for Dharma.. not the BJP-RSS kind of Hindutva, which it’s nothing but arse-licking sycophancy, wherein they help each other to name, game and riches, while pretending to be be doing it for the nation! Hell, Rohit Sharma, even plays for Modi’s Ambani, while not playing for the people’s Indian team claiming injury!!
Rhea was arrested without proof.. Arnab was arrested with proof.. he’s getting just desserts.. hope they check his head.. he deserves to be in an asylum
‘This is the kind of Hindutva we like.. the fight for Dharma.. not the BJP-RSS kind of Hindutva,’
This is BJP-SS Hindutva. They were fascist bed fellows, they fell out because power and money are involved. They will use the bully boy tactics they have used all along against minorities and liberals – but now against each other.
But it is funny to hear BJP fellows talking about freedom of speech and encroaching fascism ! It reminds me of Nazis reminding their captors to remember Geneva conventions on POWs.
थोड़ी पक्षपात रहित पत्रकारिता भी कर लीजिए। वरना जिन लोगों को आप हिपोक्रेसी से ग्रसित बता रहे हैं आप भी वैसे हो जाएंगे। देश का दुर्भाग्य है कि मीडिया वाले भी अपने अपने खेमे और आइडियोलॉजी से इस क़दर बंधे हैं कि को गलत काम की निन्दा करेंगे लेकिन तभी जब गलत करने वाला दूसरी आइडियोलॉजी का होगा। आपको दो गलत घटनाओं की तुलना के बजाय दोनों की निन्दा करनी चाहिए।
How can we support this rant against a political party. This is the same vendetta politics arnab is being punished for. Why cant we just stick to facts and say that it was correct to arrest him and people should rething their support to arnab. How xan we pay and support this useless uninformed rants
“Bull Shit”.. Doing paid reporting for Sonia sena.. Umar Khalid deserves death penalty. Reporters mentioned by you are facing charges because they did same like you guys do. Create story for payment from Congress. Being part of tukre tukre gang for money is characteristics of the print. It’s no secret. Morons one day you will too get taste of medicine that you are supplying for Aditya thakrey & Papu.
You seems to have given a clean chit to Rhea… then why wouldn’t u extend that to even Indrayani or Suresh Kalmadi. Have you all journalist been truthful. It’s nice to sit on high chairs and pass comments. Media houses are on sale. Didn’t u all give a clean chit to Indrayani before the trial. How many convictions have u secured by your investigative journalism….. journalists are for sale…….at this rate India has no crime and corruption because u say so…. the Print prints what is told to them and not what they find
I feel ashamed of these compare journalists, one day you will compare yourself with pigs and feel proud of it. Keep going
It is actually shoing hypocrisy of liberals and so called liberal parties. Did we hear anything from Congress or NCP on this, or even Kejriwal? The other journalists you named were arrested for exactly what they did, e.g. writing anti national articles. While Arnab is arrested on some false charges, just because he was crticising the Shivsena.
Shameless people if you cannot stand with people in your industry its time this industry dies its natural death
This is surprising that ‘The print’ is supporting this political harassment. Don’t worry, someday you may end up in the same boat, and will get a taste of this medicine. Maharastra govt is setting up the precedence for people like you.
Good luck to you and The print media.
Don’t worry , someday it would be your turn and we would also turn a blind eye like this and write an article. I always believed BJP is really mild when it comes to dealing with its opposition. See the sheer amount of vindictive journalism that was carried out against Modi for so many years and he has not yet done anything to the likes of rajdeep and ilk. And here, so called puppet CM is rattled by a TV journalist within 3 months.
Mr Shekhar Gupta was right. Media has hit the self destruct button. Sides have been taken and it is just amply clear by this opinion piece too. All of them are playing a dangerous game of hiding behind unrestricted free speech and then running to the courts. The joke is on the common people who is enjoying the show now but will realise this in times to come when its too late to return back to an era of sane arguments.
I was really thinking of supporting Theprint financially but with this drivel of an article, you have clearly shown bias. Arnab may run a comedy commando channel but the same force will come for your editor one day if you don’t stand for objective truth now.. It’s really is a shame as I always considered you a bit more balanced then the usual lot.
Dogturd agrees it is political. Fine then don’t cry if all “right wing” govts lock up you and your ilk.
The Q is what constitutes freedom. Does it include the following?
1. Spitting in public places. Especially Paan spittle
2. Parking in the middle of the road
3. Opiniate`d media
4. Say whatever, no matter
5. Accumulation of ill gotten wealth
6. And the like….
Freedom is not open ended. It has to be defined in real terms else is prone to misuse. This is a universal issue
Brilliantly put!
Keep up the good work.
Please stop publishing bias news and opinions !!! Your journalism is no better than the people you call out, shame and condemn !!!
There is no more middle ground in any democracy- you are either with us or against us. The right wing lit the fire – it will consume everything. I have always maintained that the Gandhis (and by extension the Congress party) is the last of the middle ground in Indian politics. The DNA of the party forged in the freedom struggle and continuing personal involvement of the Gandhis make it so. Once the Gandhis go or the Congress falls, the replacement is going to be “a take no prisoners” kind of party – a mirror of Modi-Shah BJP. Arnab and his like are in favour now but come the end of the Modi era – and end it will – peril will find them too as it finds Sudha Bharadwaj, Supriya Sharma, Vinod Dua, Prashant Kanojia and countless others today.
For once Shivam Vij’s writing is crisp and to the point.
Vinod Dua predicted correctly during Modi’s first term : ‘they (BJP) have tasted the blood of Muslims, it will not be long before they want the blood of the Hindus’.
That is the situation today. Odd that it is their own fascist bedfellow, the SS, that pushed back. Liberals can be locked away, but the Shiv Sena has musclemen equal to the BJP’s.
And the problem with left liberal journalists is they compare onions with oranges. Both might give you a tear but are not comparable. Umar khalid was part of conspiracy for fueling riots which actually led to lose of life and property. Arnab on the other hand is deliberately targetted because he aired opinions against Thackeray family, just like you give your opinions here.
In doing such stupid comparison you dilute the severity of issues Umar Khalid is accussed of. Other example you have cited are also all accused in rioting in bhima-koregaon. Indian left is an abomination or has become so. It will incite others mostly lower caste and muslims and when fight breaks out they will point fingers to Modi and say – “look right wingers are doing so” all the while pulling strings from behind. For them a muslim chopping heads somewhere is equivalent to a hindu slapping someone here. For them religion/caste of any victim matters only if they are either dailits or muslims. This is what is called hypocrisy.
But the sad thing for you is, in the age of social media people can see through your bullshit. They dont respond to ur agendas which makes you really uncomfortable because up until a few years back you could get away with it. This makes left journalist even more furious and their subtle biases comes out in open, just like yours. They brand anyone who don’t agree to their agendas as right wingers and then write opinions why is there a surge of right wing in world, here is a hint- you are responsible for it.
Mr Shivam Vij, Did you condemn Arnab’s arrest to claim right wing hypocrisy? You can claim hypocrisy on BJP or right wing only if you had condemned Arnabs arrest. By not condemning Arnabs arrest you are just showing how hypocrat you are.
Wow,whatabotary from a congressi worker cum journalist
Very well written article which exposes the double standards of the ruling dispensation. Now conduct a fast court trial.
The arrest the hypocrisy of left liberal who beat their chest in despair now glee on arrest of Arnab. Liberal word has no meaning in India what matters most whether you r pro BJP (Modi) or against BJP (Modi).
Personal opinion from a person, cannot be your “Top stories”, least expected from “The Print”. I am happy that, i haven’t subscribed to your monthly subscription option and regret for contributing one time. Your previous organization Indian express, has written an article on the complete story of this case, which i find it more useful and informative.
There are 2 others in the suicide note. Whether they were also arrested?
Yes. All 3 are arrested as per all news reports. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/abetment-to-suicide-case-maharashtra-police-arrest-republic-tv-editor-in-chief-arnab-goswami/articleshow/79033535.cms
I am sure BJP will leave no stone unturned to protect him if this was a political arrest.
But I think BJP is actually helpless because a common woman’s plight is being sought to be investigated and addressed by the Mumbai police. Will BJP pity this woman and her family or instead pity their favourite anchor? Currently going by the minister’s tweets they are projecting that the anchor is more important to them than this hapless woman.
Arnab may be let off if it is difficult to prove that he abetted the suicide but let the law take it’s own course. Powerfully connected people should be aware that no justice system in a true democracy can ditch an ordinary citizen when the time comes to dispense justice. I hope a fair trial is conducted for Arnab as well as the litigant.
you are pathetic shameless and morally bankrupt. I request you with folded hands today, you and your drawing room partners , please please spare this country and let it go free from the cluthes of few selected “thekedars” in all spheres of life (intellectual, political, financial, press, education, judiciary, etc etc)
On the contrary, this article exposes the hypocrisy of the ‘liberal’ as well as the self proclaimed ‘free’ media who have not only failed to stand up for freedom of press but are also trying to find silly justifications for their hypocrisy.
Hi
The arrest will widely be seen as a political act. If Shri Arnab Goswami is guilty of abetment to suicide, it would be possible to question him extensively – as so many other Republic TV employees have been recently, in the TRP matter – and then directly file the charge sheet in court. Allow it to be seen as an entirely professional investigation, with a judicial determination of innocence or guilt.
Trying to ullu banaoing!
Why was the Naik case closed in 2019 due to ‘lack of evidence’?
Why is it opened now when Udhhav is under the hammer due to poor governance and is being exposed by Arnab?
I don’t watch Republic – but this behaviour by a government is classical vendetta.
Wait for your turn…
Excellent take on today’s event.
All should work towards making India true domocracy as Nehru visualised.
You might be next. Be careful what you wish for.
YES !! THIS IS THE UGLY CHARACTER OF BJP !! THEY …PARTICULARLY MODI AND SHAH SINGLEHENDEDLY DESTROYED THE VERY DEMOCRATIC ETHICS AND DECORUM OF INDIA!! THEY HAVE SMASHED EVERY THING AND EVERY BODY WHO OPPOSE THEM !! THEIR CROCODILE TEARS FOR A PERSON VITIATING THE MEDIA WORLD BY HIS SOCALLED ENGLISH RHETORIC AND CUNNING JOURNALISM !! A BAD PERSON IS ALLWAYS A BAD…GOOD DECISION BY MUMBAI POLICE !!
The problem with left liberals is that they think they are smart, erudite and morally right.
And the world keeps moving on with what it has to do…. Trump keeps winning(almost), BJP keeps sweeping states etc etc.
This only shows that left liberals have made no emotional connect with the masses although they think they are working for the good of the masses. Funny isn’t it…Is it a trust factor issue with these guys???
This shows left hypocrisy… When this happens to a person whose idealogy you don’t agree with then no problem. Not one liberal protested or codemned this.
Beta jada khus na ho tum bhi pele jaoge ek baar jara famous ho jao.
This article is classic paid-pliant-media. The Print, it is out in the open that you are in bed with the drug gang, Congress and criminals.
You attempt to draw a false equivalence between Arnab & Rhea? Are you out of your 2 brain cell minds you morons?
Well said brother.
Arnab Goswami ji is neither a journalist nor an upholder of the truth. I have listened to the family whose family has committed suicide and they seem to have a genuine complaint. Let the law take its own course.
Don’t be dumb and stupid if you have sense. Firstly, Bombay police showed muscle to a citizen, they forget that they are servant of citizens. they crossed the limits by manhandling and showing muscle to police. This FIR must be squashed and these police must be booked/suspended. Second issue of the justice for suicide family. The court can ask the suicide family to appeal in the court. If then court feel the court can legally order arrest of accused including Arnab. This is law. But arresting Arnab in this way, police has forget that they are merely servant of citizen. By punishing them, the court should remind them that they are servant of citizen.
See the video. Police were requesting him sometimes with folded ands and politely.
Arnab and his wife was very bossy towards the police and refused to co-operate. Police cannot keep waiting there endlessly.
Before the magistrate he showed his bossy nature and the magistrate warned him to maintain decorum. Arnab became silent only after the magistrate said she would ask him to leave the courtroom if he continued with his bossy interruptions.
Absolutely logical questions. Congratulations for raising them.
False equivalence