'Emergency era back': Former CMs of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand back Arnab and Republic TV

As the Mumbai Police is hell-bent on targeting Republic Media Network, and in a way, attacking the fourth pillar of democracy, the media, former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh and former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das have slammed the Maharashtra government and the Param Bir Singh-led Mumbai Police over the witch hunt against the Network. The chief ministers have expressed shock over the FIR that has been slapped by Mumbai Police on the entire team of the Network, calling it a return of the emergency days, and added that team of Republic can be suppressed but cannot be defeated.

'He can be harassed, but he stands strong'

"The way a pot has been orchestrated to suppress Arnab and his team and the entire government is behind the ploy. It is always said that media has the freedom to raise the voice and also has the right to protect its source, but I am shocked how the Network has been tortured and fake cases are being implanted against them and the way the entire editorial team is being forced to sit in the police station. It is unfortunate and feels like a return of the emergency. The voice which the entire nation listens to cannot be muzzled. He (Arnab Goswami) can be harassed, but I saw how he and his team were standing with all their might and raising voice against the autocracy and of the government. I will only say that whatever is happening is not at all right" the former CM of Chattisgarh Raman Singh said.

READ | Cabinet Minister Condemns Mumbai Police's Witch-hunt On Republic TV, Calls It 'Emergency'

'Maharashtra government scared after being exposed'

"They (Republic) were exposing the working of the NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena led autocratic government, so the government got scared and hence they have gone full throttle. The autocratic government is trying to muzzle the voice of the press. This is what Indira Gandhi had also done. Despite the verdict of the Allahabad High Court in 1976, she made changes in the constitution and showed us the days of emergency. All tall leaders of the country were put in jail. But in the next election people showed her the power. Press had called it second independence after 1947. Again people of Maharashtra will show the NCP-Congress and Shiv Sena the true power of the constitution," former CM of Jharkhand Raghubar Das said.

FIR on entire editorial staff of Republic

On Friday, Mumbai Police filed an FIR against the entire editorial team of the network, including 1000 employees & top editors of the Network. The Mumbai police has 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. Apparently, the Mumbai Police has used a 98-year-old clause dating back to 1922 of the British Raj and it has not been used in the Indian constitution or by the Mumbai Police for 34 years or more.

Also, OpIndia has revealed that the Mumbai Police has tried to coerce a witness to say that he was being paid to watch Republic Bharat. According to OPIndia accessed tapes, the witness told his neighbour that 10-12 policemen along with an arrested person named Umesh barged into his house at 3.30 AM, asking his family how much money they have received for watching a certain channel, who gave them the money and in whose account the money was received.

Republic employees have been questioned for over a combined 100 hours. Arnab Goswami has been questioned for 20 hours, Niranjan Narayanaswamy for 17 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.

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