Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami has faced a new complaint for ‘stirring up communal hatred and divide on his news channel’.
Pune-based activist Nilesh Navlakha filed a criminal complaint against Goswmai under the Cable Televisions Network (Regulation) Act, 1995, reports say.
The 14-page complaint stated that the “cause of action” for the complaint was Goswami’s primetime shows on the Palghar lynching.
Goswami had launched a communal tirade on his show, even accusing Congress chief Sonia Gandhi of getting the two Hindu sadhus murdered in Palghar in April.
However, the complaint said it isn’t “restricted” to Goswami’s reporting on Palghar; it takes into consideration various debates helmed by Goswami on Republic TV and Republic Bharat, News Laundry reported.
Navlakha on May 8 lodged the criminal complaint with the Commissioner of Police, Pune, through his lawyer Asim Sarode, under Section 2 of the Act.
“We have narrated six prominent, recent debate shows conducted by Goswami in which his arguments and words used were communal in nature which he kept repeating in his shows,” Sarode said.
He said the words and tonality are intended to promote communal attitudes and news is based on religious innuendos and half-truths.
This leads to propaganda based on hatred, religious polarization and communal divide, said Navlakha in a statement.
He further said that the misuse of freedom of expression by Goswami and his channel posed a serious threat before the independent media as it violates the freedom of expression of the viewers, as it is the viewers’ right to get correct, complete and true information.
Elaborating about Goswami’s behavior, Navlakha said that he has created what is termed ‘Impulse Control Disorder’ in psychiatry.
He further alleged that Goswami and his channel are actually into “brainwashing” the viewers in a way that they will get converted into haters of some communities and terror for some religions.