Mumbai Congress on Wednesday filed complaints with Mumbai’s Commissioner of Police and at all the police stations within the city demanding action against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami under the Official Secrets Act.
In a memorandum submitted to Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, the Congress highlighted the WhatsApp chats that are part of the chargesheet filed in the alleged TRP scam case between Mr. Goswami and former CEO of BARC Partho Dasgupta. “The chats reveal how Arnab Goswami and his friends might have accessed state secrets through their network of corruption in the Central government, thereby compromising India’s security and national interests. It is clear that individuals within PM Narendra Modi’s government not only gave Mr. Goswami unprecedented access to the Cabinet, but also helped him cheat the public exchequer of crores of rupees,” said the letter.
Pointing out that no man in uniform could leak sensitive details of Balakot air strike, the Congress said the information was available only with three or four Cabinet Ministers and bureaucrats and the National Security Advisor. “To leak such information is an act of treason and leaking of official secrets is a criminal act.” The letter claimed that the chats show how Mr. Goswami was rejoicing over Republic TV’s viewership when 40 CRPF jawans were martyred in Pulwama.
It said the chats indicated how former Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, directed that complaints from Doordarshan against Republic TV be kept aside.
The letter submitted to Mr. Singh by the Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap and executive president Charan Singh Sapra demanded action against Mr. Goswami and officials within the PM’s Office and NSA who leaked secret information under the Official Secrets Act, 1923; National Security Act, 1980 and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
