Arnab Goswami facing arrest in another criminal complaint was filed against the Republic TV founder with the Pune Police Commissioner. The complaint, social activist Nilesh Navlakha, has filed his complaint under the Cable Televisions Network (Regulation) Act, 1995, accusing Goswami of running his TV channels primarily to ‘create communal hatred, religious polarisation and threatening national integrity.’ This came just days after FIR actress Kavita Kaushik, Mulk director Anubhav Sinha and Saif Ali Khan’s co-star Kubbra Sait slammed the controversial anchor for his recent antics.
A report by news agency IANS said that Navlakha filed his complaint through lawyer Asim Sarode last month under Section 2 of the Cable Televisions Network (Regulation) Act, 1995.
The complainant alleged that Arnab Goswami was using his TV channels to brainwash his viewers into hating some communities and religions. “This is not less than running an organised crime syndicate of making the human minds to follow a fanatic terrorist thought process. When WhatsApp group admins are being booked under the law, then why the CTNRA provisions are not being invoked against such tendencies,” Sarode was quoted by IANS.
Navlakha’s lawyer also reminded how many of Goswami’s guests had walked out of his TV debates because of his irresponsible name-calling. Goswami had once called even cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar ‘anti-national.’
Running his debate in February last year, controversial anchor Arnab Goswami had launched a tirade against the legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for the latter’s statement opposing the idea of boycotting Pakistan in the cricket World Cup. Taking to Twitter, Sachin had said that while he remained a true nationalist, it would be a bad idea to let Pakistan walk away with a crucial two points if India decided to pull out of the World Cup match against Pakistan, which was played 16 June 2019. India went on to defeat their arch-rivals and secure their place in the semi-final.
Goswami is already facing a series of criminal investigations against himself after multiple FIRs were filed against the pro-BJP TV anchor for using his platform to defame the Muslim community in India. His coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Palghar lynching was also deemed to be deeply offensive and brazen attempts to cause communal riots in India.
The Supreme Court has given him protection from arrests for three weeks. The controversial anchor is also facing arrest in another criminal complaint filed against him in the gathering of migrant workers in Mumbai’s Bandra area. Goswami had deliberately highlighted the presence of a mosque while covering the gathering of migrant workers during the nationwide lockdown even though the Muslim place of worship had no relevance to the story of the humanitarian crisis.
Later, the Maharashtra government ordered a CID probe against Goswami for his alleged role in the suicide of an interior designer, who ended his life after failing to secure his payment from Republic TV for designing its studios.