In a shameful incident, Republic Editor-in chief Arnab Goswami and his wife, Republic TV Editor Samyabrata Ray Goswami were attacked barely 500 metres from their house, while they were returning after his show in their Toyota Corolla.
In an event that has shamed India with even international media taking note of how the journalist was attacked hours after speaking up against the president of the oldest political party in the country, the Indian National Congress (INC).
The masked goons riding on a bike in Mumbai- the city that has been worst-hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic in India, and yet managed to break the lockdown, overtook Arnab Goswami’s car and proceeded to hurl bottles along with expletives before taking a good hard look at the journalist in the front seat of the car.
Meanwhile, Republic has claimed that Goswami’s security caught hold of the assailants and handed them over to Mumbai Police.
The media channel claims that the attackers also confessed to Arnab’s security that they were sent by the grand old party to teach the Republic Editor-in chief a lesson.
The media channel has also released a video of the Toyota Corolla that was attacked by the masked assailants.
#SoniaGoonsAttackArnab | WATCH: Arnab's car after the physical attack by Congress goons https://t.co/1wfKyiNGRO pic.twitter.com/qFqlCqACnn
— Republic (@republic) April 22, 2020
Arman Goswami who seems to have been traumatised about how an attempt was made to stifle and target him, has released a video on Twitter in which he directly blames the Congress President Sonia Gandhi for the shocking attack.
#BREAKING | Arnab's message after being physically attacked by Congress goons #SoniaGoonsAttackArnab https://t.co/RZHKU3fdmK pic.twitter.com/SdAvoerhIH
— Republic (@republic) April 22, 2020
In the video, he can be heard saying, “They had tailed me and they were given information by higher-ups to attack me. I want to tell you Sonia Gandhi, you are the biggest coward in the country right now. You have no guts to face me and I will hold you personally responsible. If anything were to happen to me, Sonia Gandhi will be responsible.”
Earlier in the day, Arnab Goswami had launched a stinging attack on Sonia Gandhi, questioning her silence on the Palghar mob lynching incident, in which two Juna Akhara Sadhus and their driver were killed brutally.
Senior Congress leaders suffered a major meltdown, and the Chhattisgarh Congress chief Mohan Markam even filed a police complaint upon which an FIR was registered at a police station in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur.
Moreover, party leader Alka Lamba also instigated Youth Congress workers to hit the streets if Arnab Goswami doesn’t get arrested. Remember, COVID-19 has already claimed several hundred levels, apart from infecting thousands. A nationwide lockdown is also in force but the Congress leader was openly inciting Youth Congress workers to hit the streets.
In another tweet, she said that if Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray doesn’t take legal action, then “I warn him that Congress workers won’t have any option left, but to come out on streets in protest.”
Maharashtra is the worst hit state with more than 5,600 recorded cases and 268 deaths, but the Congress leader openly urged party workers to hit the streets making a mockery of the lockdown in the state where the Congress is also a part of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government.
देशभर के कार्यकर्ता #ArnabGoswami द्वारा काँग्रेस अध्यक्षा सोनिया गांधी जी पर दिए गए ब्यान को लेकर बेहद आहत हैं,
अगर समय रहते @CMOMaharashtra ने उचित क़ानूनी कार्यवाही नहीं की तो मैं यह #चेतावनी दे रही हूँ कि फिर काँग्रेस कार्यकर्ताओं को सड़को पर उतर आने से कोई नहीं रोक पायेगा. https://t.co/fBBBnnqFj2
— Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) April 22, 2020
At 3 AM today, that is, hours after Arnab Goswami was attacked, she tweeted, “Long Live Youth Congress.” The Youth Congress hasn’t achieved anything substantial in the recent memory, and Arnab Goswami was then alleging its workers of attacking him. Was she celebrating the attack on Arnab Goswami?
Meanwhile, Arnab Goswami himself has said, “Congress leader Alka Lamba’s celebration of the attack on me further reinforces my belief that this attack on me and my wife Samyabrata Ray has been orchestrated by Sonia Gandhi and her close circle of Congress leaders at a time when we have raised questions about her accountability in several cases,” in his written complaint to the Mumbai Police.
युवा काँग्रेस जिंदाबाद :) 🇮🇳👍.
— Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) April 22, 2020
Throughout yesterday, a hateful trend- #arrestarnabgoswami was trended on Twitter yesterday and it is still trending. Congress leader, Sanjay Jha even called him a “rat”, a “coward” and a “frigging moron”.
I just saw Arnab Goswami’s clip on Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Congress President.
Bro, you are a rat. A coward. And you are a frigging moron. How do you look your child in the eye, sicko?
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) April 22, 2020
One of the assailants even justified attacking Arnab Goswami while boarding the police jeep last night. He said, “He is not a journalist, first of all you should know it.”
So, no one except the Lutyens’ journalists have a Right to Live with dignity? If one is not a journalist in somebody’s opinion, he and his wife can be attacked right outside their home?
One of the two attackers while boarding the police jeep last night, says about Arnab “he is not a journalist, first of all you should know it”. As if that justifies accosting any citizen and his wife, throwing ink (probably) on his car. pic.twitter.com/p7IHOh6GU2
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) April 23, 2020
This is a ghastly attack on media freedom, and shows how intolerance is rising in Maharashtra ever since the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government came to power last year. Remember, the head of a man was tonsured last year, because he had cracked a joke about Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
And now one of the most popular journalists in India has been attacked whilst no one should be roaming around in Mumbai just like that given the severe lockdown that is in force in the city with more than 3,400 Wuhan virus cases.
