Published 18:52 IST, October 20th 2020
Arnab writes to President of India amid vicious campaign against Republic; Read his letter
Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami has written a letter to the President of India on safeguarding the fundamental rights of media & press
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Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami has on Tuesday written a letter to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, on safeguarding the fundamental rights of media and the press and seeking to draw the President's attention to the grave Emergency-style injustice and constant harassment being meted out to the network.
Read Arnab Goswami's full letter to the President of India here:
Arnab Goswami's Letter To The President by Republic World on Scribd
Arnab Goswami & Republic to sue Mumbai Police Commissioner
Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director Arnab Goswami had on Monday directed his legal team at Phoenix Legal to initiate the proceedings to sue Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh for Rs. 200 crore damages - Rs.100 crore for damage caused to his reputation and Rs.100 crore for the damage caused to Republic Media Network. This came after the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Government lawyer on Monday contradicted their own Police Commissioner in the Bombay High Court by admitting that Republic is not named in the FIR in the TRP case.
Concerted attempt to target Republic Media Network Exposed
Also on Monday, in the biggest political expose of the decade, Republic Media Network unearthed a shocking 'target Republic' plot that has been hatched, with outrageous details being disclosed by a top Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) insider at the Congress headquarters in Mumbai. In the explosive sting operation, Congress spokesperson Raghvendra Shukla lay bare the conspiracy, indicating that a team has been constituted at the behest of the top-most powers in the Maharashtra government with the sole agenda of targeting Republic. 'Nobody can stop the shutting down of Republic,' the stung MVA insider says on-camera, putting forth that the ongoing attack against the channel is just the start.
On Sunday, Republic Media Network had aired the contents of an official email from rating agency BARC clearly stating that there is not a single complaint or malpractice found against Republic TV, Republic Bharat or any other affiliate of the Republic Media Network over TRPs. Crumbling the pack of lies floated and repeated by Param Bir Singh and a section of the media, the BARC email to Republic Media Network’s Group CEO Vikas Khanchandani specifically confirmed that there is no malpractice by the network.
On October 17, Mumbai Police had also detained Republic's Consulting Editor Pradeep Bhandari when he presented himself at the Khar police station to answer the summons. This move came inspite of Bhandari being granted anticipatory bail by a Mumbai court and fully cooperating with the Mumbai Police.
Earlier, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and KM Joseph had also observed that they are concerned about the fact that Police Commissioners are giving interviews to the media. Justice DY Chandrachud, in a strong observation, said that the court is concerned that of late, Commissioners have the tendency of giving press interviews on ongoing cases. Republic Media Network had moved the Supreme Court amid a malicious and vindictive attempt by the Mumbai Commissioner of Police to target the channel using the garb of an alleged TRP scam, over which Param Bir Singh had called a news conference.
Republic Media Network's Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami had also been sent a show-cause notice, in violation of the Bombay High Court. While the Supreme Court in its judgment dated May 19, 2020, held that no other complaint can be initiated in respect of the Palghar broadcast of April 21, 2020, the Bombay High Court in its June 30, 2020, judgment suspended all criminal proceedings with respect to the FIRs registered against Arnab Goswami, based on the Palghar and Bandra news reports. Yet, the show-cause notice was filed.
Last month, the Shiv Cable Sena, which is a wing of the Shiv Sena, wanted to block Republic Media Network from beaming to people's homes in the state. The development came right after Republic’s reporter Anuj was put in jail without anything resembling due process for chasing a lead in the Sushant Singh Rajput case investigation. The Shiv Cable Sena issued an order which was signed by Sanjay Raut’s brother Sunil Raut. Sanjay Raut is the “pramukh margdarshak” of this organisation.
As listed above, the past few months have witnessed a relentless string of incidents wherein Republic has been the focus of a clear, sustained and malicious campaign. Court cases, physical attacks, diktats to cable operators to not telecast Republic Media Network's channels have been launched amid Republic's unwavering attempts to investigate the Palghar lynching case, the Sushant Singh Rajput death case and other cases. Republic Media Network has vowed to fight these strong-arm tactics.
18:10 IST, October 20th 2020