Republic TV’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami was attacked by two bike-borne assailants little after midnight on 23 April, 2020 near his residence in Mumbai. Soon after, he released a video wherein he said that the two men belonged to Yuva Congress and had attacked him to ‘teach him a lesson’ after he had questioned Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s silence on Palghar sadhu lynching.
However, soon after the attack on Goswami, the liberals and the defendants of freedom of press implicitly justified and defended the attacks on Goswami.
Instead of condemning the attack on a fellow journalist, no matter how much of difference of opinion one has, Wagle implied that the attack on Arnab is justified since his criticism of Sonia Gandhi over Palghar lynching does not fall under Freedom of Expression.Please don’t tell me about Freedom of expression. I have read article 19 and 19A too. This #ArnabGoswami and his ilk doesn’t fit into any perspective of this article.
— nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) April 23, 2020
Another columnist Ravi Ratan implied that the attack on Goswami was ‘a story’ created to ‘divert attention’ from the imminent arrest. He further urged Maharashtra government to first arrest Goswami and then investigate the attack. He wrote attack in double quotes, implying the attack was staged.The “attack” story is to divert attention from imminent arrest.
— Ravi Ratan (@scribe_it) April 23, 2020
Maha govt must act swiftly with arrest first and then investigate “attack”
NYTimes columnist Aatish Taseer, who usually likes to claim that freedom of press in India is stifled, referred to Goswami as ‘ridiculous creature’.Look at this ridiculous creature! You don’t have the support of “the people of India,” Arnab, you have the support of the Government of India at whose bidding you act. It’s not courageous to speak truth to people who are out of power. Your job is to hold those in power to account https://t.co/gOsqpV5wYZ
— Aatish Taseer (@AatishTaseer) April 22, 2020
Taseer’s Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card was recently revoked as he had concealed that his father was a Pakistani citizen. He has regularly displayed Hinduphobia and spoken the same language of the Islamists who killed his father in Pakistan.
NDTV journalist Nidhi Razdan slyly referred to Goswami as the pandemic India is facing.
Some even cast aspersions on allegations of Arnab Goswami that he was attacked and already passed judgement that his claims are false.So glad India Twitter trends reflect the crisis of the pandemic we all face. pic.twitter.com/gJPFncmoBy
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) April 23, 2020
The worst part is Arnab CLAIMS he was attacked & his false claim has more value than journalists facing judicial & police harassment. (especially the ones reporting in Kashmir, and U.P)
— Vidya (@VidyaKrishnan) April 23, 2020
A man associated with an online portal also took to Twitter to downplay and dismiss the attack on Arnab.It’s almost sad and pathetic to see this man putrefy in front of us. Facts have ceased to exist for Arnab, because this man now believes in his own lies. Pathetic is a man incarcerated in the many untruths he created, trapped inside his hatred and bile. But I also see fear.. https://t.co/Jrt10w8oEh
— Suchitra Vijayan (@suchitrav) April 22, 2020
Pretty sure interrogation can be done today morning.
— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) April 23, 2020
And then later in Republic studios at Primetime.
Congress supporters attack Arnab, this time virtually
Meanwhile, Congress supporters on social media have started trending ‘DramaBandKarArnab‘ hashtag.
Congress IT cell members accused Arnab of concocting up the attack on him.😂😂😂 These 2 pics very accurately depicts what actually happened! #DramaBandKarArnab https://t.co/EBr2mEqYhW
— Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) April 22, 2020
Hey Arnab you and your “Car attack” lies go back a long way! If you want to make up stories, be little creative! @rajeev_mp give some budget to @republic so they can hire better creative writers to come up with fake stories. #DramaBandKarArnab https://t.co/Vbe1o8VC3y
— Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) April 22, 2020
Bollywood starlet turned Congress leader Nagma accused him of crying foul for questioning Sonia Gandhi because she is a widow of a former PM.. #DramaBandKarArnab
— Surbhi Dwivedi (@DwivediSurbhi) April 22, 2020
. @republic channel employees right now 👇 pic.twitter.com/0Ob5JLTCvB
Congress spokesperson Akhilesh Singh seems to have thought of competing with his colleague Alka Lamba on who puts up more despicable tweets.He definitely needs help.He is utterly vicious lying first he maligns a woman a widow of a ExPM she has sacrificed her entire life,benefitted the poor through policies, he attacks her entire family nw cry’s foul his entire life is based on lies.He is a dramatic coward crying foul https://t.co/Bs8Z38MHeB
— Nagma (@nagma_morarji) April 22, 2020
खबर आ रही है एक मोटरसाइकिल सवार को देख कर
— Akhilesh P. Singh (@AkhileshPSingh) April 23, 2020
गू स्वामी का पाजामा गीला हो गया और
यह सुन कर माईडीयर कामन जेन्डर
गू पात्र गटर की गैस से मूर्क्षित हो गया है 🤪🤪
Earlier, Lamba had hailed Yuva Congress after Goswami released a video stating that the two men who had attacked him were Yuva Congress workers.
Attack on Arnab Goswami
In the intervening night of 22nd and 23rd April, after his regular edit call post the 10 PM debate, Arnab Goswami and his wife were driving back home when two bike-borne assailants attacked their car. According to our sources, the assailants parked their bike in front of Arnab Goswami’s car in order to get him to stop the car and then attacked it. Arnab Goswami and his wife have escaped unhurt. The assailants, after attacking the car and trying to break the windows, also threw ink at the car. According to Republic TV, the goons confessed that they were from Congress and the attack took place only 500 meters away from Goswami’s residence, according to Republic TV.
