'MVA silencing Republic by slapping false cases': Tathagata Roy draws parity with Mamata

Former Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy on Monday condemned the Maharashtra Government and the Mumbai police for harassing Republic Media Network and slapping false cases against its journalists. In a veiled jibe at the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, Roy said the Maha Vikas Aghadi was adopting the West Bengal's technique of silencing critics by slapping false cases against them. 

He also quoted prominent politician Gopal Krishna Gokhale's words - “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow" to criticise the Maharashtra Government's outright witch-hunt against Republic Media Network and its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. 

READ | Former ASG Pinky Anand Aghast At 'unusual Activity' Against Republic; Seeks CBI Inquiry

On Friday, Mumbai Police filed an FIR against the entire editorial team of the network. The Mumbai police booked the case for a serious non-bailable offence for incitement to disaffection among members of the Police Force and defaming Mumbai Police - under sections 500 and 34 of IPC.

Tathagata Roy recalled being subjected to similar kind of victimization by the Trinamool Congress government in 2011 when a case for 'attempt to murder’ was slapped on him, just for making a speech. The former Governor said he had to spend a night in judicial custody that time, something which even the CPI(M) did not do, during their 'tyrannical rule' between 1977-2011. 

READ | Republic & Arnab Send Param Bir Singh Defamation Notice Seeking ₹200 Cr Damages; Read Here

Witch-hunt against Republic Media Network

Republic employees have been questioned for over a combined 100 hours in this brazen attack on freedom of the press. Arnab Goswami has been questioned for 20 hours, Niranjan Narayanaswamy for 20 hours, Senior Executive Editor Abhishek Kapoor for 7 hours, Republic Media Network CEO Vikas Khanchandanani for 7 hours, Assistant Vice President Ghanshyam Singh for 25 hours, CFO Sundaram for 32 hours and COO Harsh Bhandari for 8 hours.

READ | 94- Yr-old INA Veteran Speaks Against Republic Witch-hunt, Draws Parallels With Emergency

Two shocking decisions dominated proceedings on Friday. First, Section 91 notice was filed against Republic TV, that sought details of the smallest transactions, like the cost of tissue, papers among others. This was followed by FIR against all employees of Republic Media Network, that sent shockwaves across the nation. These are just the latest in a concerted and single-minded witch-hunt against the network which has been utterly and comprehensively exposed fact-by-fact at every turn.

READ | BJP's Kapil Mishra Slams Maharashtra Govt & Mumbai Police For Witch-hunt Against Republic