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Tag: Arnab goswami

  • Arnab chats row: Republic Media Network hits back at Congress, accuses it of peddling ‘falsehoods’

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Republic Media Network on Sunday hit out at the Congress over its allegations that the purported WhatsApp chats of Arnab Goswami point to breach of national security and violations of the Official Secrets Act, and claimed that the party was peddling “falsehoods”.

    In a statement, the Republic media group also accused rival TV channel Times Now of manipulating TRPs, suppressing facts and misleading the public on the alleged TRP scam.

    The statement comes after Times Network, under which Times Now operates, said it is contemplating “all possible legal actions” against Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) for its unacceptable and unpardonable” failure to act on complaints of large-scale manipulation of TRPs to favour Republic TV.

    ​ALSO READ | Congress holds protest in Maharashtra against Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami over purported chats

    Also, the Congress had on Friday demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the purported WhatsApp chats of Goswami for breach of national security and violations of the Official Secrets Act and booking those involved.

    In the statement, the Republic Media Network said there has been collusion of corporate and political interests to target its Editor-in-Chief Goswami.

    The validity, veracity and genuineness of the purported WhatsApp chats are still to be tested in the courts of law, but even keeping that aside for a moment, there is not one line, suggestion or shred of evidence in the chats which contain any wrongdoing or TRP manipulation by the Republic Media Network, the statement said.

    ​ALSO READ | Arnab Whatsapp chats row: Leaking of official secret of military ops is treason, says AK Antony

    The Republic Media Network also called upon the Competition Commission of India to probe the existence of “collusion and cartelization” in the media industry “which is selectively targeting Goswami”.

    “The Congress which cannot get over its own infighting has peddled lies and falsehoods against us, accusing us of leaking official secrets, when the truth is that the possibility of airstrikes was a much-discussed topic in the public domain, much before the strikes actually took place,” it said.

    Last week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said providing official secret information to a journalist is a “criminal act” and both the giver and the receiver will have to go to jail.

    He was referring to the allegations that the reported chats showed Goswami being privy to the Balakot air strikes beforehand.

  • Congress to raise WhatsApp chat leak to corner govt in Parliament

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Congress has decided to corner the Centre in the upcoming Budget session of Parliament over the farmers’ agitation against the new agri laws, Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami’s alleged WhatsApp chat leaks and the Covid-19 vaccination drive.

    The Congress Working Committee (CWC) passed resolutions on the three issues at its meeting on Friday and demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the purported WhatsApp chats of Goswami for breach of national security and violations of Official Secrets Act and book those involved. 

    “The CWC demands a time-bound investigation by a Joint Parliamentary Committee to enquire into the breach of national security, violations of Official Secrets Act and the role of the persons involved. Ultimately, those who are guilty of treacherous behaviour must be brought before the law and punished,” the CWC resolution said.

    “Very recently there have been very disturbing reports on how national security has been so thoroughly compromised.  I think just a few days back, Antony ji had said that leaking of official secrets of military operations is treason.

    Yet the silence from the government’s side on what has been revealed has been deafening.  Those who give certificates of patriotism and nationalism to others now stand totally exposed,” Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said at the CWC meeting.  The party has also decided to reach out to other like-minded opposition parties to build pressure on the NDA government as the House convenes later this month. 

    ‘National security compromised’The Congress Working Committee expresses its grave concern at the revelations “exposing the sordid conversations that have undoubtedly compromised national security”, it said 

  • PM Narendra Modi should come clean on Balakot leak: Congress

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Leaking sensitive military details is treason and those involved in such “anti-national activities” must be punished, former defence minister AK Antony said as he demanded the PM to come clean in the row involving senior journalist Arnab Goswami.

    Antony was joined by party colleagues Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sushilkumar Shinde and Salman Khurshid at a press conference on Wednesday, with the Congress cranking up the pressure on the Centre in the controversy over Goswami’s purported WhatsApp chats.

    On Tuesday, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had asserted that the leak of sensitive information was a “criminal act”.

    At the press briefing, Antony said those involved in such acts deserve no mercy and an inquiry into the information leak about the Balakot air strikes must be ordered immediately.

    “Leaking of official secret is a criminal act. Leaking official secret about military operation, national security matters, sensitive military operations especially military strike is treason, anti-national. They have to be punished for anti-national activities, for treason. They deserve no mercy.” 

    India’s security has never been compromised in such a way and never have the high offices of the prime minister, home minister and others been brazenly compromised, Antony claimed.  

    Recalling his long stint as defence minister, he asserted, only one of the top five in the government are suspect in this case.

    Later, a joint statement by the Congress leaders questioned whether the government had any right left to continue in office after such “damning revelations”.

    “We demand that the prime minister should come clean on these accusations immediately in order to restore the severely damaged credibility of the highest office of the country,” they said in the statement.

  • Arnab Whatsapp chats row: Leaking of official secret of military ops is treason, says AK Antony

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Leaking of official secret of military operations is treason and those involved must be punished, Congress leader A K Antony said on Wednesday referring to the purported WhatsApp chats of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami doing the rounds of social media.

    Addressing a press conference here, he also said that the government should immediately order an inquiry into information leak about the 2019 air strikes.

    “Leaking of official secret of military operations is a national security matter and is treason. Whoever is party to this leakage must be punished and those involved deserve no mercy,” Antony said.

    On February 26, 2019, India had launched air strikes on what was said to be Jaish-e-Mohammed’s training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot.

  • ‘Providing official secret info to journalist criminal act’: Rahul Gandhi on Arnab chats

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Disclosing official secrets to a journalist is a criminal act, and those providing and receiving such information should be punished, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday.

    He was referring to the transcripts of the purported WhatsApp chats between Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and ex-CEO of BARC Partho Dasgupta.

    On allegations that Goswami was privy to the Balakot air strike beforehand, Gandhi said only five people — Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Home Minister, Air Force chief and National Security Advisor — were privy to the information.

    “Information was with 4-5 people. In such missions, information is not given to even the pilot. That person (Goswami) received the information from one of these five. This is a criminal act. We will have to find out who did it, and then both will have to go to jail,” he said while addressing a press conference.

    Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the former Congress chief alleged the process to find out who passed the information will not start as the prime minister may himself have leaked the information.

    Questioning the patriotism of the BJP leadership, Rahul said that there was nothing patriotic about taking political mileage out of the strike. 

    “If Arnab Goswami knows, if it is on his WhatsApp, I assume the Pakistanis also know it. It is not a very big jump. It is a criminal act and investigation should begin,” he said.

    On the purported chats doing rounds on social media, Gandhi said: “The distressing thing is that after the 2019 Pulwama attack, the journalist said that this is good for us. It reflects the mind of the prime minister that the death of 40 of our people is good as we will win the elections.”

    The five who knew  

    On allegations that Goswami was privy to the Balakot air strike beforehand, Gandhi said only five people — PM, Defence Minister, Home Minister, Air Force chief and NSA— were privy to the  information.

  • Maharashtra plan to invoke Official Secrets Act

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government would seek legal and expert opinion on whether Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami could be booked under the Official Secrets Act for disclosing sensitive information on Balakot strike three days before it took place. The government’s decision follows the surfacing of a purported WhatsApp chat between ex-CEO of BARC and Arnab Goswami.

    Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh said that they have taken a serious note of Arnab Goswami’s chat.

    “We have decided to seek legal and expert opinion on whether Arnab Goswami can be booked and arrested under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly sharing classified military information.  We cannot comprise on national security. We have to find out with who else he has shared the information. Besides, we need to trace the source of this crucial information, and whether it was limited to Arnab and Partho Dasgupta,” Deshmukh said.

    Deshmukh said that the chats came into notice during the Mumbai police’s probe into the alleged TRP scam. 

  • Can Arnab be arrested under Official Secrets Act? Uddhav govt seeking legal opinion

    By Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has decided to seek legal opinion whether Republic TV owner and editor-in-chief can be charged under Official Secrets Act for his revelations about the Balakot airstrike three days in advance through his purported WhatsApp chat with BARC former-CEO Partho Dasgupta.

    Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh said they have taken a serious note of Arnab Goswami’s WhatsApp chat on the classified military information. “We have decided to seek the legal and senior officials’ opinion whether Arnab Goswami can be charged and arrested under the Official Secrets Act for sharing the classified military information.

    “We cannot comprise our security services. We have to find out with whom he had shared this information three days before the Balakot airstrike by the Indian Air force. Besides, we need to find out who had provided this crucial information and whether this information was limited to Arnab and Partho Dasgupta,” Deshmukh said.

    Deshmukh further said that the Mumbai Police is probing the TRP scam and as a part of that this the WhatsApp chat between Arnab Goswami and Partho Dasgupta came out. “We will do whatever is possible as a state government in this case. The security of the state and nation is of utmost importance for us,” Deshmukh added.

    Earlier in the day, the Maharashtra Congress delegation met the Home minister Anil Deshmukh demanding the arrest of Arnab Goswami. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that the WhatsApp chat between Goswami and Dasgupta has brought out some serious revelations. 

    “Arnab Goswami was aware of the Balakot airstrike three days before the incident. The conversation between Goswami and Dasgupta is being discussed in the mainstream and social media. Questions are raised about how Goswami got this highly confidential and sensitive information. This amounts to treason and Goswami should be arrested immediately,” demanded Sachin Sawant.

    The Congress leader further said that Arnab Goswami himself admitted that the source of his information was “a big person in the Modi government”. 

  • TRP scam: Uddhav government starts gathering information on chats between Arnab Goswami, ex-BARC CEO

    By PTI
    NASHIK: The Maharashtra government is gathering information about the leaked social media chats between Arnab Goswami and BARC ex-CEO Partho Dasgupta in which highly sensitive things like Balakot airstrike and Pulwama attack were mentioned, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has said, adding the issue will be discussed by the Cabinet on Tuesday.

    The purported chats widely reported in media mentioned that Goswami, the editor-in-chief of Republic TV, was privy to the Balakot air strikes.

    Speaking to reporters here on Monday night, Deshmukh said how Goswami came to know about such sensitive information is a big question.

    “We are gathering information about the leaked chats between Arnab Goswami and Partho Dasgupta. Some highly sensitive things including the Balakot airstrike and the Pulwama attack have been mentioned in the chats. How Arnab came to know about such sensitive information is a big question,” Deshmukh said.

    He said the state Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Tuesday in Mumbai.

    “After the meeting, a decision about this issue will be taken,” Deshmukh said.

    ALSO READ | Bhupesh Baghel seeks SC-monitored probe in Arnab Goswami’s purported chats with ex-BARC chief

    Earlier in the day, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) asked the government to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the purported chats between Goswami and Dasgupta.

    Dasgupta, who was arrested in the fake Television Rating Point (TRP) case, is now in the ICU of state-run JJ hospital in central Mumbai.

    A diabetic, he was rushed to the hospital from the Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai on Saturday after his blood sugar levels went up on Friday midnight.

    The Mumbai police had earlier told the court that Goswami had allegedly bribed Dasgupta with lakhs of rupees to ramp up Republic TV’s viewership.

    Meanwhile, the home minister attended a review meeting of the police department organised at the Maharashtra Police Academy (MPA) here.

    ALSO READ | National security issues reduced to ‘TRP tamasha’: Mehbooba attacks Arnab Goswami

    On the occasion, Deshmukh lauded the facilities available at the MPA and expressed satisfaction about the low crime rate in Nashik.

    Deshmukh hailed the successful initiative of Pratap Dighavkar, Special IG, Nashik Range, to give back the money of farmers duped by unscrupulous traders.

    “We will try to implement this measure at the state level,” the home minister said.

  • Bhupesh Baghel seeks SC-monitored probe in Arnab Goswami’s purported chats with ex-BARC chief

    By PTI
    RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday sought a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the purported chats between Republic TV Editor-in- Chief Arnab Goswami and former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) head Partho Dasgupta.

    Asked about the purported chats widely reported in the media which mentioned that Goswami was privy to the 2019 Balakot air strikes in Pakistan, Baghel said the matter pertains to national security.

    He was speaking to reporters here before leaving on a two-day visit to Assam, where he is a Congress observer for overseeing campaign management in the poll-bound north-eastern state.

    On the ‘chatgate’, the CM said, This is dangerous for the country’s security.

    How come such highly confidential information was known to a journalist? “If it has happened then the judiciary and the NIA should take suo motu cognisance of the matter.”

    Baghel asked the Centre to clarify its stand.

    The Centre should clarify that how he (Goswami) had information about it and why it is being covered up.

    The matter should be probed under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Supreme Court as it is linked to the nation’s security.

    “There should be no politics on the issue and an impartial inquiry should be conducted into the matter,” he said.

    Dasgupta, who was arrested in the fake Television Rating Point (TRP) case, is now in the ICU of state-run JJ hospital in central Mumbai.

    The Mumbai police had earlier told the court that Goswami had allegedly bribed Dasgupta to ramp up Republic TV’s viewership.

    Meanwhile, Baghel slammed the BJP over notices served by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to farmer leaders protesting against the Centre’s new agriculture laws, and asserted the saffron partys attempts to “suppress” cultivators movement would not scare them.

    Whenever a protest takes place, the BJP tries to defame it.

    They have been labeling this movement (against new farm laws) as ‘Pakistan-backed, China-backed and Khalistani- supported’.

    “Despite all these allegations, farmers have so far stood firmly on their demand. Now, those who are heading the farmers protest are served notices by the NIA.”

    The Congress leader said the protesting farmers will not be scared into withdrawing their agitation.

    “No matter how much they (BJP) try to suppress their movement, I dont believe that farmers will be afraid and retreat,” Baghel added.

  • National security issues reduced to ‘TRP tamasha’: Mehbooba attacks Arnab Goswami

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: National security and issues of monumental importance have been “reduced to a TRP tamasha”, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Monday.

    The PDP president was reacting to purported Whatsapp messages between editor of Republic TV Arnab Goswami and former CEO of BARC P D Dasgupta that were reportedly part of supplementary charge sheet filed by Mumbai police in the TRP scam case “Today we stand vindicated that it was done to benefit a particular party in the elections & not to avenge the martyrs of Pulwama attack,” she claimed, referring to Balakot airstrikes.

    “National security & issues of monumental importance have been reduced to a TRP tamasha that benefits BJP & creates false narratives. Masses are conditioned to believe fake news, hate imagined enemies within & outside the country. Nation wants to know who will pay the price for this?” Mehbooba said in another tweet.