Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Thursday that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to protest against the arrest of someone accused of instigation of suicide and attempted murder, it can do so because it is their democratic right.
He was speaking in reference to the arrest of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami on Wednesday. Gowswami was arrested in Mumbai for alleged complicity in the suicide of an interior designer in 2018.
“If someone is arrested under Section 306 (instigation of suicide) and 307 (attempted murder) and the BJP wants to protest against it, they can do so because everyone has that right in democracy. But I can make sure that no injustice will be done to anyone, ”said Sanjay Raut.
After the publisher’s arrest on Wednesday, several leaders, including union ministers Amit Shah, Smriti Irani and Prakash Javadekar, spoke out against the police action and drew parallels to the Emergency. Shah called the arrest a “flagrant abuse of state power.”
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar criticized the police for their action. “Shadows of the emergency! Arnab Goswami’s arrest is an attack on press freedom. Those who really believe in this freedom should speak up! “he tweeted.
Read also: The action followed the law, without revenge under the government of the Seine, says Sanjay Raut about the arrest of Arnab Goswami
Sanjay Raut, on the other hand, claimed that the arrest followed the law and due procedures. “The police can take action if they have evidence against someone,” he said.
On October 16, a local court allowed the Alibag police to reopen the case for further investigation, and Goswami transferred the Bombay High Court to overturn the new case two days before his arrest. He was in preventive detention until November 18.
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