india

Updated: Apr 23, 2020 14:35 IST

The police in Mumbai have arrested two people for an alleged attack on journalist Arnab Goswami and his wife, officials said on Thursday, in an incident that stirred a political blame game.

Goswami, the editor-in-chief and owner of Republic TV, said in a complaint at NM Joshi Marg police station that the incident took place at Ganpatrao Kadam Marg around 12:15am when he and his wife were returning home from a studio in Bombay Dyeing Complex in Lower Parel. Both of them were unhurt.

“Two men on a motorcycle overtook my car and tried to identify who was driving. They then blocked the path of my car with their two-wheeler. The pillion rider hit the right side driver window several times and after realising that the car windows were up, the pillion rider removed a liquid bottle from his pocket and threw liquid on the driver’s side of the car where I was sitting,” Goswami said in his complaint.

The attackers were carrying a bottle of ink which they threw on his car, a police official told news agency PTI. Goswami’s security guards, who were behind in another car, caught hold of the two persons and handed them over to the NM Joshi Marg police, he added.

Those arrested have been identified as Pratik Kumar Shamsunder Mishra and Arun Dilip Borade, both residents of Sion in Mumbai.

“Both the accused were arrested immediately after the incident with the help of security personnel who were with Arnab,” Abhinash Kumar, the deputy commissioner of police (zone 3), said.

The suspects have been arrested under the charges of wrongful restraint and intentional insult with the intent to provoke breach of the peace, among others.

In his complaint, Goswami pointed fingers at the Congress. In a video posted after the alleged attack, Goswami said he was told by his security guards that the attackers were Youth Congress workers. There was no confirmation by the police.

Goswami has faced flak over his remarks aimed at Congress president Sonia Gandhi during a discussion on the Palghar incident in which three persons, including two sadhus, were lynched.

Senior Congress leaders, including chief ministers, have criticised Goswami, with the party’s chief spokesperson, Randeep Singh Surjewala, alleging that it was “deeply disgraceful that PM & BJP eulogize this brand of TV anchors”.

Maharashtra energy minister and Congress leader Nitin Raut denied any role of the Congress party in the alleged attack on Goswami. The Congress shares power with the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra.

“I don’t think that any Congress worker can attack him because Congress has never worked in this manner. The party that has been created by the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, has maintained both moderation and balance since the beginning,” said Raut, according to ANI.

“But the way he (Goswami) has tried to insult Congress president by using indecent language…Who gave this right to him?” the Congress leader added.

Centre’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including party president JP Nadda, condemned the alleged attack on oswami and targeted the Congress over the incident.

“Shocking to see Arnab Goswami attacked after Congress CMs publicly threatened him. Sad to see such public hounding of a journalist for his freedom of speech. Congress shows it is the party that brought Emergency and continues its rich tradition of trampling free speech,” Nadda tweeted.

(with agency inputs)