Netizens have been demanding the arrest of Arnab Goswami and the staff of Republic TV for ‘supporting the Taliban’ as hashtag #RepublicWithTaliban trended on Twitter. This was after a screenshot of Republic TV’s tweet claiming to stand with the Taliban went viral.
In its controversial tweet, now deleted, Republic TV had allegedly used a hashtag, which indicated the TV channel’s support for the Taliban. Republic TV had written on Twitter, “#RepublicWithTaliban| Former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s brother Hashmat Ghani announces support to Taliban. Watch LIVE updates on Afghanistan crisis here.”
In its earlier tweet related to the rapidly unfolding developments in Afghanistan, Republic TV had repeatedly used the hashtag, #RepublicWithAfghanistan. However, when the controversial TV channel replaced ‘Afghanistan’ with the ‘Taliban’, it evoked strong reactions from netizens, who demanded the arrest of Arnab Goswami and his staff members. This was because the police in Assam, the Republic TV founder’s home state, had arrested at least a dozen Muslims for their social media posts in support of the Taliban.
Arnab Goswami’s @Republic TV has announced support to Taliban.
Not surprised after they celebrated terror attack in Pulwama, this time too they must have been like, “We Won It Like Crazy” !! #RepublicWithTaliban
.. pic.twitter.com/vCMVoLdgCj— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) August 21, 2021
#ArnabGoswami ‘s @Republic TV has announced support to #Taliban.
Not surprised after they celebrated terror attack in Pulwama, this time too they must have been like, “We Won It Like Crazy” !! #RepublicWithTaliban pic.twitter.com/lLX9kUiuBr
— নিৰুপম অসম (@NirupamAxom) August 22, 2021
Those who celebrated attack on our Brave Jawans in Pulwama are today openly supporting Talibani in Afghanistan.
Tomorrow, they could be celebrating terror attack on us ???? because they are totally controlled by the radical forces.#RepublicWithTaliban pic.twitter.com/M4sb2M6T6b
— ???????????????????????????? ???????????? ~ सौरभ राय ???????? (@SaurabhRaii_) August 21, 2021
Republic ‘ With Taliban’ ?? Arnab Goswami’s @republic tv announces support to Taliban.
SHAME ! Taliban supporters in India.
Arnab should be arrested for standing with terror!st organisation.#RepublicWithTaliban pic.twitter.com/7zraUxEWmz
— Madhu ???? (@Vignesh_TMV) August 21, 2021
Many netizens made a direct reference to Goswami’s leaked WhatsApp chat earlier this year when he was accused of celebrating the terror attack in Pulwama just before the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. More than 40 Indian soldiers had died prompting the BJP to use the killings of Indian soldiers to its electoral advantage. In the leaked WhatsApp chat, Goswami was seen celebrating the attack as he wrote to one of his acquaintances, “This attack (Pulwama) we have won like crazy.”
