Republic TV issued a strongly worded statement on Wednesday hours after the channel's editor in-chief Arnab Goswami was arrested by Mumbai Police over an abetment of suicide case.
Republic TV's statement said, "This morning the entire country witnessed the operation of a police state in Maharashtra". Republic TV alleged Goswami was dragged by his hair.
"In a black day of India’s democracy, the Editor-in-Chief of the number 1 news network of India was dragged by his hair and arrested. Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh's cops shut off cameras, and thrashed Arnab. They stopped Arnab from handing medicines to his parents-in-law, and even physically assaulted his son. They refused permission for a written legal note be put on record. They paraded India's leading Editor-in-Chief, without a shred of evidence, as though he was a criminal. Arnab was not served summons prior and not even allowed access to his legal team."
Republic TV claimed an 'encounter cop' Sachin Vaze told Arnab,”You don't know what I am capable of.” It claimed Arnab was arrested without having his legal counsel present.
Republic TV claimed the case against Arnab “was closed by a court of law after a closure report by the police noted that no case was made out”. Republic TV sought public support “to stand against the onset of an emergency in Maharashtra under CM Uddhav Thackeray and at the hands of Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.”
More BJP leaders have spoken out against the arrest of Arnab Goswami. Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis compared the incident to the Emergency of 1975-1977.
Fadnavis tweeted, “The Emergency ended in 1977 but the mindset remained. Congress supporting the Emergency-Shiv Sena is giving the same mindset after coming together. An attempt to crush every anti-government voice is a blot on democracy. India has learned only one thing, struggle is our slogan in the struggle of every loud victim.”
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also compared the arrest of Arnab Goswami to the Emergency. Prasad tweeted, "The Emergency ended in 1977 but the mindset remained. Congress supporting the Emergency - Shiv Sena is giving the same mindset after coming together.
An attempt to crush every anti-government voice is a blot on democracy. India has learned only one thing, struggle is our slogan in the struggle of every loud victim."
He also attacked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. “Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have openly attacked @narendramodi Govt through motivated charges of attack on institutions yet they are completely silent when their own Govt in Maharashtra is blatantly suppressing freedom of Press. Textbook case of hypocrisy!”
However, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, a key spokesperson of the party, dismissed charges of vendetta. Raut told ANI, "The law is followed in Maharashtra. Police can take action if they have evidence against anyone. Since the formation of Thackeray government, no action has been taken against anyone for revenge.”
The Editors Guild of India also condemned the arrest of Arnab Goswami. ANI quoted a Guild statement as saying, "The Guild calls upon Maharashtra CM to ensure that Goswami is treated fairly and state power is not used against critical reporting by media."