Published 15:48 IST, November 8th 2020
Loud chorus backing Arnab Goswami; Smita Parikh horrified with visuals of Taloja transfer
Celebrities across fields reacted with shock and worry as Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami was moved to Taloja jail
- India News
- 2 min read
Celebrities across fields reacted with shock and worry as Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami was moved to Taloja jail. As the journalist was taken in a police van to the Taloja jail, he sought help and pleaded with the Supreme Court for bail, while revealing shocking details of treatment meted out to him. Sushant Singh Rajput’s family friend and TV pannelist Smita Parikh termed it as a ‘blot on the country’ that 'centuries will remember.'
Smita Parikh condemns treatment meted out to Arnab Goswami
Smita Parikh posted videos of the shocking visuals, and tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and veteran Ghazal singer Anup Jalota, who she is close to. She wrote that Arnab was ‘illegally arrested’ and taken to Taloja jail ‘like a terrorist.’
In another tweet, she termed it as an ‘end of democracy’ and an end to the freedom of India. She hit out at the Maharashtra government for not being able to take criticism, and for only wanting a ‘crowd of boot lockers who will never be your well wishers.'
As Major General (Retd) GD Bakshi also wrote a strong tweet seeking intervention of the courts and that Taloja jail was famous for housing terrorists, Smitaawrote to the veteran as well. She tweeted hope that he could help Arnab Goswami and that the freedom that soldiers like him had fought for seemed doubtful now as people were 'not safe' anymore.
Lawyer Ishkaran Singh Bhandari, journalist Nupur Sharma, writer-columnist Ratan Sharda, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Goel, were among the others who expressed their anger over the manner of the treatment given to a senior journalist.
“I am not being allowed to speak to my lawyers. I was pushed and assaulted this morning. They woke me up at 6am and said, ‘We won’t let you speak to your lawyers.' My life is under threat,” Arnab Goswami said on his way to Taloja jail from the van. He had been at a quarantine facility in Alibaug after his illegal arrest on Wednesday.
The transfer to jail also raised eyebrows as the Bombay High Court was set to pronounce its order in the interim bail application bail plea, 30 hours later, on Monday.
Updated 15:48 IST, November 8th 2020