Published 21:43 IST, February 19th 2024
Mamata Is India's Biggest Fascist: Mahesh Jethmalani on Illegal Arrest of Republic Reporter
“I am being arrested by the police. They are arresting me because I was interviewing the mothers of Sandeshkhali,” said Republic Bangla Reporter Santu Pan.
Kolkata: The West Bengal police on Monday dragged and arrested Republic Bangla’s reporter, Santu Pan, following which leaders and acclaimed personalities reacted to TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee’s brutal attack on the media, calling it the ‘epitome of fascism’. Pan was on the ground reporting the Sandeshkhali ‘horror’ incident when the West Bengal police assaulted and later arrested him, in a brazen attempt to muzzle free and fair reporting.
“I am being arrested by the police. They are arresting me because I was interviewing the mothers of Sandeshkhali,” said the Republic Bangla reporter as he was being dragged by the police at the Sandeshkhali ferry ghat. Reacting to the latest development, Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, said that the company was weighing in its legal options and might move to the Kolkata High Court immediately against the ‘illegal’ arrest of Santu Pan.
“The epitome of fascism is the TMC, and the biggest fascist in this country today is Mamata Banerjee. This is only to be expected. It's a pattern of behaviour; she subverts the law, and she misuses the police. The entire state machinery is at her beck and command,” Supreme Court Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani told Arnab.
It isn't only Jethmalani who has reacted following the TMC supremo's attack on the media.
"There is complete anarchy in Sandeshkhali. Women have not been allowed to express themselves," Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari told Republic earlier. Further, BJP’s State President Dr. Sukanta Majumdar stated in his statement, “the WB Police arrested Bangla Republic Reporter Santu Pan from Sandeshkhali for reporting on the atrocities being faced by the locals. This is a massive, inhuman, and direct attack on the fourth pillar of Democracy.”
Pan was manhandled by police personnel deployed in Sandeshkhali, and visuals confirmed that the West Bengal Rapid Action Force (RAF) were equipped with batons and riot gears when they assaulted the Republic Bangla reporter.
The incident, reminiscent of what happened during the ‘emergency period’, also brought a response from the Union Minister, "In a state where the Chief Minister is a woman, new records are being set in crimes against women, leaving them feeling unsafe. In such a distressing scenario, a reporter is punished for simply reporting the truth. It couldn't be more unfortunate," Union Minister Anurag Thakur told Goswami.
Just a day prior to the incident, Mamata Banerjee was seen blaming the BJP and ‘Media Channels’ while completely downplaying the incidents that occurred in Sandeshkhali, saying that they were being blown out of proportion, but was it?
Updated 02:34 IST, February 20th 2024