Monday, December 9, 2024

Reporter’s arrest in Maharashtra: Where is US Congress now?





In the heat on Kangana Ranaut-Shiv Sena and Rhea Chakraborty saga, a chilling state of affairs in Maharashtra is being lost on the nation. And it’s the third day continuing when a reporter from Republic TV finds himself behind bars without any charge pressed against him.

Reporter Anuj Kumar, video journalist Yashpaljit Singh and Ola cab driver Pradeep Dilip Dhanavade were arrested by the Maharashtra Police while doing an assignment in Karjat, Raigad three days ago. No reason is yet in public domain from the authorities for having them arrested. There, allegedly no due process has been followed. He continues to be under forcible interrogation by the Maharashtra police, it is alleged.

Taking up the cudgels on his behalf, Dr Subramanian Swamy today tweeted:

“The US bleeding hearts organisations for human rights and free press suppression in India should ask now Congi in Maharashtra why a Republic TV correspondent called Anuj has been jailed with no charge and no bail…”.

It indeed is staggering that no hue and cry has been raised by India’s national media, human rights group, the news websites which have spawned in last few years, the likes of ThePrint, The Wire, headed by dubious but big names such as Shekhar Gupta and Siddharth Vardharajan; the activists like Harsh Mander and Prashant Bhushan; or political activists like Yogendra Yadav and Yashwant Sinha etc.  There are no luminaries like Arundhati Roy to offer court arrest. No candlelight marches or “Azaadi” gangs. No “sheros.” Nor any outrage emerging from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Punjab who never get tired of claiming to be warriors in the battle to save “democracy in India.”

Swamy has also tellingly brought out the nexus that exists between such forces and their foreign cohorts. Organisations like Amnesty International or US Congress or EU parliament have gone for a deathly silence. They of course would spring into action if they could get even half a chance to discredit Modi government.

Meanwhile, Republic Media network has decided to move the Bombay High Court against the unlawful detention of their reporter Anuj Kumar. It has also decided to move the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) against the illegal detention of its reporters which runs against the Constitutional guarantee of personal liberty.

The news has filtered in that Shiv Cable Sena, a wing of Shiv Sena, has issued an order to block Republic Media network. The order is allegedly signed by Sanjay Raut’s brother Sunil Raut and Sanjay Raut is the “pramukh margdarshak” of this organization.

It is unlikely that Arnab Goswami, the owner of the Network, would be silent in this all. He has messasged in his typical abrasive style: “I am Mumbaikar and I have built Republic with hard work and effort. You can not touch our network…Uddhav Thackeray, release my journalists immediately and arrest your party leaders who are issuing threats…”


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