MoS External Affairs Muraleedharan terms Arnab Goswami's arrest 're-run of emergency era'

Following Arnab Goswami's arrest, Minister of State for External Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan took to Twitter to express his displeasure. Terming Mumbai Police's conduct 'deplorable', Muraleedharan said that it was a 'fascist move' by the Uddhav Thackeray government and that such 'muscle-flexing tactics' will not be accepted in a democratic country like India. He also recalled the 'Emergency era', stating that Congress 'mother-son duo' Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are trying to 'threaten, press and crush' the press.

On Wednesday morning, over a dozen officers if Mumbai Police barged into Arnab Goswami's residence at around 8 am without any warrant, summon or court order and dragged him out. Republic's Editor-in-chief was assaulted, forcefully arrested and taken to the Raigad police station. 

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Arnab Goswami Arrested

About 40-50 Police armed Police personnel entered the building premises of Republic's Editor-in-chief and Managing director Arnab Goswami's residence with about 8 police vehicles at about 8 am on Wednesday morning. Within minutes over a dozen police personnel entered Arnab's residence and manhandled him in an attempt to drag him out. Arnab was pushed and heckled by the police personnel in spite of cooperating with them and repeatedly requesting them to allow him to contact his advocate. Samyabrata Ray Goswami, Arnab's wife informed that the lady cops tried to force her to sign some documents which was also recorded in the LIVE along with the assault on Arnab Goswami. 

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The Mumbai Police also went on to block Republic Executive editor Niranjan Narayanswamy and senior associate editor, Sanjay Pathak, from entering Arnab's residence. Mumbai Police pushed Niranjan out of the building after he stated that he has a right to report. The police also made an attempt to seize his phone and delete any videos taken by him of the assault on Arnab Goswami.

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