Republic TV founder and editor Arnab Goswami alleged he was attacked by Youth Congress workers on his way back from his studio in Mumbai. Republic World reported that the attack took place barely 500 metres away from Arnab's house as he was driving back following his show, with his wife and Republic TV Editor Samyabrata Ray Goswami in their Toyota Corolla.
In a video, Goswami blamed Congress leaders for the attack, challening Congress president Sonia Gandhi and calling her a "coward". He could be heard saying in the video: "At around 12:15am, I was driving back from studio with my wife. My car was overtaken by two people in two bikes. They turned to me, pointed at me, they started hitting my car and trying to break the windowpane," he said. They were throwing some sort of liquid at the vehicle, he said. The attackers were accosted, and Goswami said the security personnel informed him they were Youth Congress workers sent specifically to assault him. "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."
In a news discussion on the Palghar lynching of Hindu seers, Arnab had attacked Sonia Gandhi's silence, reportedly saying she was "happy" now and would not have been quiet if saints from minority community faced the attack. This had provoked criticism from numerous Congress leaders. Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala alleging that it was "deeply disgraceful that PM & BJP eulogise this brand of TV anchors".
Slamming Goswami's remarks against Sonia Gandhi, senior Congress leader and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said she has been a highly successful Congress president. "Ridiculous attack by Arnab Goswami on Sonia Gandhi ji in derogatory language is totally shameful & unacceptable. She was 22yrs old when she came to India & has been living here for 52 years of which she has dedicated most of her life to the service of the country," Singh tweeted.
Surjewala, in his tweet, said, "Let PM remember that Sonia Gandhi has spent over 50 years of life in India, serving the country & being a witness to sacrifice of her mother in law & husband. But your favourite abusive anchors won't bat an eyelid before hurling filth. Silence is acquiescence, Mr. PM!"
A few days back, Goswami had resigned in live TV from the Editors' Guild of India, accusing the organisation of hypocrisy in the aftermath of the Palghar incident. In his popular primetime news debate, Goswami said this was not a case of "mistaken identity" and the intentions (behind the incident) "were clear". “If this had happened in a state run by BJP, and, instead of Hindus, and let me be very direct about it, they were from any minority community, would [actor] Nasseeruddin Shah, Aparna Sen, [historian] Ramchandra Guha, [editor] Siddharth Varadarajan, and the award vapsi gang, would they have gone berserk today?”
“Shekhar Gupta, you hear it from me first. Whatever has been remaining of the credibility of the Editors' Guild of India has been destroyed by the abject silence on a series of fake news. It has become a self-serving organisation. I have been a member of the Editors' Guild for a long time. I, hereby, resign for absolute compromise of editorial ethics,” he said.