The biggest journalist in India is being treated like a terrorist and the central govt must step in

The arrest of senior journalist Arnab Goswami upon the orders of a government which he has relentlessly questioned, has, of late, put the spotlight on the state of free media when it is made to function under the rule of ‘secular’ governments, comprised of parties who claim to stand by all ideals of freedom, but which, they fragrantly violate in reality. Take for example – free speech. As a journalist with a reputation of unsparing coverage and reportage, Arnab Goswami had every right to question the Maharashtra government and Mumbai police in a manner he deemed fit, on his own TV network no less. Yet, him, his family and his staff are now being hounded for daring to raise their voice against misrule in Maharashtra.

It is in times like these, of unprecedented intimidation and state abuse of free and independent journalists, that the very concept of media is put to shame. The government of Maharashtra, led by the Shiv Sena must realise that in their pursuit of sick vendetta against Arnab Goswami, they are shaming India before the world. Arnab Goswami is India’s biggest, most popular and by far one of the most courageous journalists. If a media person of Goswami’s stature can be a victim of state excesses, the overall image of India as a journalist and freedom-friendly nation takes a hit. To protect India from facing global embarrassment, it no longer remains a choice for the Centre to intervene. Rather, it should now be an obligation for the Modi government to step in and straighten up the Maharashtra government.

Arnab Goswami’s legal team have submitted before the Bombay High Court that he, due to police brutalities, has suffered a 6-inch-deep gash on his left hand and a serious injury to his spinal cord. Further, they have alleged that he was hit by a heavy uniform police officer’s boot, was not allowed to wear shoes throughout, suffered vein injuries and was not even given access to drinking water. Goswami is also said to have been forced to consume a certain liquid by the police officers guarding him, which choked him as result. This was after the senior journalist and his family were manhandled by the police during his arrest. The Maharashtra police were seen dragging Goswami out of his house.

In fact, speaking of the arrest which has been called ‘illegal’ by the Alibaug court, the Maharashtra government and police machinery have admittedly been working on nabbing Goswami for long, as though he were some sort of a criminal on the run, or worse, a terrorist. According to a Times of India report, the Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh formed a high-level 40-member team led by Konkan range Inspector General Sanjay Mohite to arrest Arnab Goswami in the 2018 suicide abetment case, in an ‘operation’ which is said to have been named “Operation Arnab”.

A member of the Maharashtra cabinet detailed the intricacies of the all-important operation to silence an independent journalist’s voice, and said that ‘their people’ made several rounds of the building where Arnab’s residence is located. “It was a secret operation. We were fearing that if the information is leaked, Arnab may flee the city to avoid arrest,” he said. The minister added, “It was a planned operation, even small issues were taken care of. It was decided who will knock at the door, who will talk to Arnab and his family members and what the course of action would be if he resists. Arnab did resist. However, after Vaze explained to him the legal position if he failed to join the investigation, it was a smooth affair.”

Arnab Goswami is being treated as a hardened criminal without even considerable evidence in the flimsy case which is being made out against him. It must be remembered that Arnab Goswami, since the unfortunate death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput particularly, has come to be hated by Mumbai’s elite film-and-drug mafia. As such, he has also made enemies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, and asking pointed questions to the rulers that be, Goswami has earned himself quite a reputation. The vendetta campaign being pursued against him is solely for the purpose of teaching him a lesson, and sending out a loud and clear message to free, independent and courageous journalists all over the country.

Meanwhile, a section of Indian media, particularly the one which has a fetish for the Left-ideology, has relentlessly been making arguments in support of Arnab Goswami’s assault by the state of Maharashtra. Certain media outlets have made it a mission to discount the brazen abuse of power and manhandling of Goswami for the simple reason that he, according to them, is not a journalist. Hence, a bunch of irrelevant fools who think of themselves as the mantle-carriers of true journalism are effectively justifying human rights violations of India’s biggest journalist.

It is for this very reason that the Centre must immediately step in and rescue Arnab Goswami. The blood-thirsty mob in the state of Maharashtra has set out with a clear agenda to destroy Arnab Goswami, and if anything were to happen to him, the Centre would be blamed just as much for not placing the boot over the state government’s neck when it had to.