Arnab Goswami’s remarks against Sonia Gandhi spark row

Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami’s remarks against Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the news channel’s programme triggered a row prompting Congress workers across the country to file police complaints against the journalist.

Goswami also claimed that he was attacked, allegedly by Youth Congress activists on Thursday when he was returning home with his wife Samyabrata Ray Goswami from the television studio in Mumbai.

Senior Congress leaders, including Chhattisgarh Minister T S Singhdeo, Maharashtra Minister Nitin Raut, former Union minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and scores of party workers, filed complaints with the police from Punjab to TN.

The complaints said Goswami used words and statements that allegedly led to inciting people for riots and spreading communal hysteria.

During the same debate, he also used derogatory words against Sonia and made baseless allegations of communal nature against her, the complaints said.

The FIRs against Goswami followed after top Congress leaders and chief ministers of party-ruled states slammed the journalist and demanded action against him.

BJP president J P Nadda said he was shocked at the attack over Goswami after Congress CMs publicly threatened him. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar condemned the attack and took a dig at the Congress for targeting the journalist.