Arnab Goswami’s arrest is wrong

It is difficult for anyone who values responsible journalism to support what passes for journalism on Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV, but his arrest in Mumbai on Wednesday morning was wrong and should be condemned. Goswami was arrested on the charge of abetment to suicide in a case dating back to 2018. It relates to the death by suicide of a businessman and his mother to whom Republic TV owed a large sum of money that it allegedly did not pay. The businessman left behind a suicide note and his family is pursuing the case. Republic TV has denied the charges and said that the case is part of a political campaign against the channel and Goswami by the Maharashtra government. It has dubbed it as a slanderous and malicious attempt to run it down and punish it for its criticism of the state government.

Republic TV’s style of journalism is gross, biased and violative of journalism’s best canons and purpose. He has unleashed a relentless campaign against the Maharashtra government on many issues, including the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Many of his charges were wild and baseless, just like many other charges he levels against leaders of opposition parties and anybody who is against the Narendra Modi government. He had also called for the summary arrest of many people though there was no credible charge of any kind against them. He had turned the studio into a courtroom where the most ridiculous trials were conducted, and judgements passed. The Maharashtra government certainly has an axe to grind against Goswami. But even so, journalists and media organisations should not be harassed and persecuted for their comments and views, however unpleasant and biased they are.

Governments should not act with rancour and vindictiveness against their critics, even unreasonable ones. Even when citizens abuse their freedom and their rights, governments should not abuse their powers. Such blatant abuse of powers has been seen in recent years when critics, or even those merely seen to be not on the side of the central government, have been harassed and hounded and implicated in cases. Sedition charges are routinely used against critics and protesters; central government and BJP leaders unleash vitriol against those they consider as enemies and central agencies then proceed to file charges, raid and arrest them under draconian laws like the UAPA. It is therefore ironic that leaders of the central government, right from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to lower-level functionaries, are now crying “Emergency” and “fascism” over Goswami’s arrest. The arrest is still wrong and, unfortunately, it will impart a sense of martyrdom to the poor brand of journalism practised by Republic TV and Goswami.