It’s a game of wits between a rabble-rousing TV host and a genteel chief minister. This isn’t an ordinary game. Who wins this round will have deep, longstanding repercussions on the future of the Shiv Sena-led coalition government in Maharashtra.
Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami is daring the Uddhav Thackeray government: do you have the guts to take me on? This dare has to be seen in the context of the BJP’s goals in the state.
For all its alleged Chanakyaniti, the BJP was defeated in the post-election games in Maharashtra. Despite being the single largest party, and doing everything it could, including waking up the President of India at 5 am, it lost the plot to Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress. Uddhav Thackeray became chief minister.
Not having a BJP CM in any state is unacceptable to home minister Amit Shah. The humiliation of losing Maharashtra to a rag-tag post-poll coalition is worse. To be outfoxed by a nice Uddhav Thackeray, an ageing Sharad Pawar and a comatose Congress is not something Amit Shah is going to forget.
The BJP is itching to gain power back in Maharashtra. And before it can mount a coup, it has to do everything to can to weaken and delegitimise the Uddhav Thackeray government.
Arnab Goswami’s dare to Uddhav Thackeray has to be seen in this light.
Also read: No communal angle to Palghar, strict action against those fuelling hate: Uddhav Thackeray
An attack dog
Founded in 2017, the Goswami-led Republic TV was incubated by Rajiv Chandrasekhar, a Bengaluru politician and entrepreneur who was at the time associated with the BJP-led NDA coalition. He has since resigned as Republic TV director, and has been rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat and is now a member of the BJP.
Day in and day out, Republic TV, on its English and Hindi channels, acts as an attack dog of the BJP on the opposition, liberals, and just about anybody who is critical of the BJP or its majoritarian, anti-minority agenda. In other words, Republic TV is a weapon in the hands of the BJP.
To be fair, it is not the only channel to be thus deployed. There are way too many. But Republic TV is a leading light, especially given that vast amounts of money must have been poured in the distribution game to give its English Channel high TRP ratings. As various channels compete for high ratings and access to the Narendra Modi government, they keep going down the rabbit hole of peddling majoritarian hate to impress the masters in Lutyens’ Delhi.
Also read: How not to report: A lesson from Republic TV, Times Now, ABP covering Bandra migrants
Arnab, the BJP weapon
Arnab, the BJP weapon, is being used now to singularly target Uddhav Thackeray, to destabilise and delegitimise his government. The praise that Uddhav Thackeray has been winning as a balanced, serious, governance-oriented chief minister is clearly not going down well with the BJP. Bringing down Uddhav Thackeray is an important BJP project, and Arnab seems to be part of that strategy.
In allying with the NCP and the Congress, Shiv Sena has given up on anti-Muslim politics, and is limiting itself to non-violent Marathi identity politics. Creating communal tensions in Maharashtra is thus key to making life difficult for Uddhav Thackeray. It is meant to force him into taking a ‘secular’ position that weakens his position before the Shiv Sena cadres. Furthermore, the resulting Hindu-Muslim polarisation will help the BJP gain ground.
It is this desperation to communalise the political discourse in Maharashtra that the lynching of two sadhus and their driver in Palghar by a tribal mob (‘of the same faith as the attacked’) was immediately given a Hindu-Muslim angle by the formidable BJP-allied troll armies. When the salivating communal vultures were silenced by a mature video put out by Uddhav Thackeray, Arnab Goswami went in another direction: Why is Sonia Gandhi silent? What if the victim had been Muslim? Whataboutery, the favourite weapon of the Muslim-bashing hate-mongers.
Just before this, we had seen Arnab Goswami communalise the gathering of migrant labourers at Bandra railway station. He had asked: Why did they gather before the Jama Masjid of Bandra?
Also read: Uddhav Thackeray has failed to handle Covid crisis. Bring in Army to save Mumbai
Uddhav Thackeray’s Catch-22 situation
If Uddhav Thackeray goes after Arnab Goswami, it may be a victory for Arnab Goswami and the anti-Muslim at large. They can’t play victim over the death of two Sadhus (because the killers weren’t Muslim), so they’ll play victim over Arnab Goswami. The biggest enemies of free speech will suddenly start talking about press freedom.
The personalised attack on Sonia Gandhi is also a way of creating tensions between allies Shiv Sena and Congress. The Congress may want Uddhav to turn the heat on Arnab, and Arnab will thus get to play martyr. Already, he’s won round one of this game with alleged Congress hooligans chasing his car and attacking it. And he has already blamed Sonia Gandhi personally for it.
If Uddhav chooses to look the other way and let Arnab carry on with his inflammatory speeches in the name of press freedom, it will make Uddhav look weak. It will again establish the supremacy of majoritarian hate politics that the chief minister has disowned.
In politics, perception is reality. And power has its own logic regardless of anything else. If you look weak, the balance of power tilts against you. If Uddhav Thackeray doesn’t act against Arnab Goswami, he will be bowing before his dare. Arnab Goswami, the BJP and majoritarian hate politics will have won.
There are enough and more grounds to take strong legal action against Arnab: the potential breach of peace his speeches could cause; causing enmity between communities; spreading rumours that could cause panic during an epidemic. These are all violations of laws in force. And taking legal action against Arnab Goswami on these grounds would be legally valid. The spirit of the law demands so.
Also read: Indian media is waging a holy war against Muslims. It acts like hyenas
Appeasement hasn’t been working
From driving M.F. Husain out with legal harassment to summoning The Wire editor Siddharth Varadarajan to a police station in Ayodhya during a lockdown, majoritarian forces regularly use legal harassment as means to silence their critics. By contrast, liberal leaders in power rarely ever use the law against communal hate mongers. Thanks to this inequality, majoritarian hate-mongering carries on with impunity.
Arnab Goswami, for instance, seems to be pretty sure Uddhav Thackeray won’t have the guts to take legal action against him. At the most, a few FIRs and running around police stations or courts, all of which he’ll turn into a spectacle to his own advantage. In the worst-case scenario, Lutyens’ Delhi will save him.
Liberal leaders and governments have been practising a policy of appeasement before the majoritarian Right. They are afraid that taking on the monster head-on could make it bigger. But look how the monster keeps growing ever bigger despite this policy of appeasement. Majoritarian forces thrive on appeasement from the other side because the public can see the appeasement is coming from weakness, not strength.
Uddhav Thackeray needs the courage to look the monster in the eye, or be devoured by it.
The author is contributing editor to ThePrint. Views are personal.
This idiot shivam whoever is rabiixd … He forgot that if he would be in any other country, they would take him to good task.. We the Indians are tolerant hence listen to such crap from so called bl. udy liberal… They are the ones who bring bad name to my country n hamper developments…
They want Uddhav to bow only to congress.
That must really hurt, the frustration oozing from this article, shows how deep the damage is done. I like that!!
Shame on this article writer to support MF Husain who painted vulgar pictures of HINDU gods.
This is 100% paid article. Shivsena is trying to do it’s PR correct through this effort. But there are many serious mistakes in this article. Sample one is saying that BJP has approached President of Indian at 5.00 am. Instead they had approached Governor of Maharashtra. We must not pay more attention to The Print as it’s readership is very poor. Neglect it.
This is 100% paid article. Shivsena is trying to do it’s PR correct through this effort. But their are many serious mistakes in this article. Sample one is saying that BJP has approached President of Indian at 5.00 am. Instead they had approached Governor of Maharashtra. We must not pay more attention to The Print as it’s readership is very poor. Neglect it.
Communist and dalal of Congress the print
This media shows ground reality. They have many independent journalists who don’t work for an agenda like the big media houses. Unfortunately many people who have commented here seem to like sponsored journalism like the way Republic TV does. Don’t know why suddenly there is so much communal hatred spread by Arnab and other media houses. Atleast I can say that I have not seen such stuffs in the US where media becomes communal and sponsored.
Are you kidding me? Have you listened to the journalists on Fox News? I live in the USA and I know how much biased reporting goes on here. Refrain from deifying Nielsen ratings driven news channels. Speak truth to power!
What more can be expected from a paranoid vermin like you ! Only dejected vermin’s seek abode in ‘ The Print’ of fake news & gossip’s !
I AM A MUSLIM AND I DONT SEE COMMUNAL HATRED IN TRYING TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH ABOUT SUSHANT AND DISHA’S MURDER
Congress used so many state governments to muzzle Arnab, the left media supported this attack on free press.
This gives free rein to BJP to do even worse.
Stupid article time wasting to read.
The print and journalist himself is puppet of congress party.
I don’t understand the meaning of this article.
This article is totally one sided.
The language used is very stupid.
Slavery of Print is well understood by Indians.Congress will loose everything and yes our government will be there in Maharashtra.Its just a matter of time.
Writer is self obsessed and dalal bbot licker of congis and lefts.
No relevance left of this gadha shekher gupt
What was NDTV the Congress BLs doing? Perfecting the art of lying t
to paint the selfless Indian as mass murderer for over a decade.
And now your media is yet another hound attacking the PM and BJP.
You Street dogs continue your barking. The radiant sun is least affected by it.
You r totally biased against Hindu majoritarian…
Whether minorities with their behavior r sucking the soul of my country…
Shivam Vij, your writings are always biased against BJP. If Arnab is BJP’s propaganda dog what are you? A stooge of Italian Gang and I am asking you how much money you had taken for writing this article?
Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Arnab is ofcourse the barking dog and it is true if any bhakt opines or not. It is a power tussle in maharashtra and bjp wants to destabilize the govt as they did in madhya pradesh. Once the noise tightens around this dog it’s masters would leave him to die. It is a pathetic situation in the country and the greed of bjp is making things worse. The bhakts are gobar eaters and belong to gratar si can’t expect anything better from them. Days are not far away when these communal dogs are thrown away from every state.
Pity on ThePrint n Reporter…such low level report…BJP lost.. election…kuan c dunya main rehte hain ye Chatukar reporter
Pity on ThePrint n Reporter…such low level report…BJP lost.. election…kuan c dunya main rehte hain ye Chatukar
Are you not barking dog of the so called secular political party? Don’t try to achieve your own agenda.
ROFL You are writing again & again about Arnab….so HE has already WON. You will never ever gain as much name & fame as him
Any way whose dog you are barking. Earlier nobody was there to question you. Now within seconds we can expose you. You think we readers are like cats assuming that no body is watching while drinking milk. You people are fully exposed so no body takes you seriously. Carry on
Is this articlemail under sekhar gupthas print
Is good journalism .It reflects where SG stands
Calling other perspective as Barking dog is it
part of journalism taught by Guru Arun Showry
Iam deeply distressed with this article author
and SG
Quite funny I must say. Everyone says Shivam’s articles are foolish etc. Then why to get so excited?
Those who live in glass houses do not throw stones on others! If Arnab is a barking dog of BJP, whose loyal dog is Shivam? If Arnab was not physically attacked, the situation would not have arisen to this unfortunate level. So whatever Arnab does now can not be faulted for using his rights and resources to protect his rights. Let us see how it unfolds now.
Mr. Shivam Vij, the problem with journos like you is you bat with both sides of a bat. Shiv sena aligning with NCP and Congress – masterstroke…BJP’s coup in MP – attack on democracy…NDTV blacked out for few minutes – attack on free speech…Physical attack on Arnab Goswami – Arnam is part of BJP’s game plan…So we know how journalists work these days…
When Batka house happened it is on record that Sonia Gandhi had tears in her eyes
So it is very normal to ask her reaction on lynching of Sadhus
Congress is known for minority appeasement and has a track record to show for the same
Instead of giving judgement on Arnab’s judgement from supreme court, author of this article should try to find the answer of queries raised by Mr Arnab
Proof please before making baseless allegations.
PS:don’t tell me you read it on a whatsapp forward.
Fully stupidity shown here. Shekher gupta is a agent of congress and communist perfect example… he was main conspicuous of judges press conference.
And Arnab da Goswami first a loyal agent of BJP then secondly some journalist……??? He is doing a very good job for BJP…..
Pot calling a kettle black! The author himself, going by his frequent rants – is an attack dog for discredited erstwhile establishment.
True. The author himself is a biased puppet and the best word to describe him is pi.p of congress and left. Showing his frustration and if he was attacked like this by BJP, then he will sing a different song. Shivam better go for some other work instead of your biased pi.p reporting
Is Nishant a drooling puppy behind an attack dog?
If Arnav is a journalist, cockroach is a bird.
Who the hell are you to judge a journalist like Arnab?
Common man.
Mr. Shivam, Would you kindly throw some light on NDTV’s roots, hidden agendas and backing please? We are waiting to hear from you.
How about MAUT KA SAUDAGAR, KHOON KI DALALI etc… Just to remind these words.
Udhav is only respected because he is son of Hindu Hriday Samrat Shri Bala Saheb Thackrey, who on national television took all the responsibility of 1992.
Mothabhai is silent because of C – virus. Else, he would have shown this cheeziya his place.
Don’t worry , wait for few more months. He will be begging in front of BJP to save his a.
Looks like in this political akada arnab will be killed and made a scape goat this guy arnab should now keep his mouth shut and run away some where he is already a scape goat don’t k ow when this poor blabber mouth will die
A bigger dog in the crowd of many dogs. Replace Arnab with Sekhar Gupta and Republic with The Print and you have the same story. SG barking for Congress. Nothing new. Dog-Dog bhai-bahi.
I pity those supporting spineless,toothless journalism done by Arnab where were they during Pulwama incident did this stooge Arnab had the guts to ask Mr.Modi how RDX was transported for the gruesome incident. It is very clear that all this incidents be it Jamat or Palghar have been scripted by BJP to give it a communal flavour and journos like Arnab are the easy pawns at the hands of so called nationalists.Uddhav Thakrey is gaining acceptance as CM which is becoming very hard for BJP to digest and hence using their pet ferocious canines who were not made to see the broad daylight are left to create this berserk.
Very true Arnab is a katputli in the hands of BJP
Very true Arnab is a katputli in the hands of BJP
I don’t think Uddhavji or Rahul Gandhi should replyl anything to Arnab let him keep on barking
I don’t think Uddhavji or Rahul Gandhi should replyl anything to Arnab let him keep on barking
NaYaaru. This is not an unbiased reporting and comes thru left tinted secular glass. Readers need to be aware of the source before reading report and also analysis too.
Mr Shivam Vij the writer of the article is blatantly lying. His own publication The Print, says that Christian tribals lynched the Hindu ascetics.
Mr Vij, please stop lying for us readers to take any of your ranting with any seriousness.
Hindu lives matter too….
Even if he speaks for bjp nothing wrong.congress has lot of foreign missionery led channels to spread fake news & anti india messages to break country.i hope he is the right person at right time atleast to voice these perpetrators causing damages in peoples mind and ….
What the hell you are talking about. Mr.Shivam Vij, you think you are a neutral journalist? No, your language is purely based on congress’s agenda. In your article you told that 3 men attacked by mob. Why not written 3 Hindu Sannyasi? If it was happened with other community of people, then I don’t know what kind of situation you (sic) people would have been created. You have no guts to written “Sannyasi” and you are fingering to other journalist. Mr.Vij look at yourself before you put the finger to others.
100%
No doubt Arnab is a BJP weapon, but the pseudo secular leftists have worked hard since independence to keep india poor.
If not for Narasimha Rao, who every Congressman hates, we would still be in the 20th century.
Today’s slogan is “I oppose the BJP, so I am an intellectual”
Don’t need to add dog or donkey beside Aranab’s name as whole India knows what he is. Arnab should produce a singly evidence that Sonia has in the last 30-35 yrs informed Italy that she has killed so many Hindus or else Arnab should hang himself in shame. Before barking out on Sonia he should seen how she wears the Saree with full cover which even our native Indian women don’t/
Had there been two Moulavis in place of Hindu Ssdhus who have been lynched , would you have dared to say the ssme thing? If you can’t be honest to yourself, put your lips under rigid secracy to hide your real motive.
Uddhav Thackeray is a great CM. The stray Bangali Dog is just barking because the BJP can’t tolerate the good work Mr Thackeray has been doing in comparison to the fool Fadhavis
By calling Bengalis dog, you proved that you yourself is no better than a street dog.
Barking dog don’t bite.
Udhav n team is doing what a non-BJP state can best do ! R- Goswami has to survive this media peer pressure …blame or claim some VIP’s
Ha ha ha, unelected Udhav, a great anything?
If anyone has proven himself to be a hate monger then it is our friend Shivam here. Open your eyes, no one, apart from your champagne socialist friends think like what you write: either you can continue to be loser and unabashedly be the opposite of Arnab (a dog for anyone anti-BJP) or smell the coffee and understand that you can shout as much as you wish but the people of the country are firmly with the PM – your choice.
And your print colleagues thought you were the rising star….really..This is the best objective analysis you could put. I am yet to see the article on palghar from this paper of yours …When is it coming? You know the outcome….get ready.
Whatever you have commitment so far is right Mr. Uddhavji. You’re very nice gentleman and if keeping quiet doesn’t mean you’re is sacred of this coward fellow who is not serious about how not only India but whole of World is suffering. Let the bastered Dog Howk . Uddhavji you go ahead with humanity carry on the welfare God bless you
Shivam seems to be a writer for Congress. Speaking utter nonsense without facts. The old game if Majority vs minority. Republic does not pump money to get trp. More people watchs it. Just a crap writing. Why does not print have a good writers
What should we say about such a third class article. Someone rightly said this article should have been classified as fiction. The person is not a journalist but a paid chamcha.
10 minutes spent on “ThePrint” and already read 2 articles on Arnab.
Is it the end of serious journalism?
There was a time, when journalists were accused of peddling non-News as News.
Then they were accused of making big out of an event that is not news worthy.
And now they have become News themselves.
If you were a Newspaper with such shitty content, I wohld have never bought a copy!
U are the biggest ??dog
So all the journalists r dogs ? That’s what u want to say ?
Why to care the barkings.
Article written by a charlatan, idiot of the highest category,. Get some nice contributing editors Print, he does not suit your level of journalism