Ravi Shankar Prasad questions Arnab Goswami's arrest

Ravi Shankar Prasad, India's Law Minister and a senior leader of the BJP, has voiced strong objections to the recent arrest of Arnab Goswami, the Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV. Describing the arrest as 'seriously reprehensible, unwarranted, and worrisome,' Prasad criticized the Congress party for its silence on what he perceives as an attack on press freedom by the Maharashtra government, which is led by the Congress in alliance with the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party. Goswami was taken into custody in Mumbai on allegations of abetting the suicide of an interior designer, raising concerns over the misuse of police power against journalists. In a series of tweets, Prasad underscored the importance of press freedom, recalling the BJP's historical fight against censorship during the Emergency of 1975. He accused Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi of hypocrisy for condemning the Modi government while ignoring the actions of their own party in Maharashtra. Prasad emphasized that while differences and debates are vital in a democracy, the arrest of a prominent journalist for questioning authority is unacceptable and must be condemned by all, regardless of political affiliations.