Breaking: Complaints lodged against Arnab Goswami in Chhattisgarh for distorting Rahul’s statement on COVID-19

Multiple complaints were lodged in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday against head of Republic TV and anchor Arnab Goswami for distorting former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s recent statement on the COVID-19 situation in the country.

Sources told National Herald that Congress activists protested across the state and lodged complaints against the television anchor in 12 districts and zonal headquarters, including Raipur.

The complaints lodged by the Congress activists sought action against Goswami for distortion and misrepresentation of facts.

Seeking action under sections 505 (intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offense against any other class or community), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 290 (punishment for public nuisance in cases not otherwise provided for) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the complaints asked the state government to act as per the relevant laws against rumor-mongers.

Congress activists also demanded action against Goswami, who had resigned from Editors Guild, protesting coverage of the Palghar mob-lynching recently, under the Disaster Management Act.

These complaints would be converted in FIR after due diligence, said a highly placed source.

Media head of the Chhattisgarh Congress, Shailesh Nitin Trivedi told NH that Arnab has misled the country by distorting Rahul’s statement on COVID-19. “That is why Congress activists have filed complaints,” he said.

It is worth recalling here that Rahul Gandhi in his press-briefing on April 16 said that the lockdown is not the solution but a pause button in the fight against COVID-19. Asserting that aggressive testing is needed, Rahul had extended support to the Modi government also.

“However, Goswami in his prime time show misrepresented facts and distorted Rahul’s statement by bringing in irrelevant references,” said Trivedi.

Speaking over the phone, Trivedi said, “Attacks on health workers and doctors who are risking their life, amid pandemic across the country, is a result of what Arnab and news channels, anchors like him broadcast every day”.

Scrutiny of the Arnab Goswami’s show reveals that he not only brought in Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s name without any context in debate but repeatedly and deliberately referred to Italy as their (Congress’) country. He can be heard saying in the video making irrelevant comparisons between India and Italy also.