Open Letter to Sonia Gandhi: Attack on a journalist is an attack on the nation

I write to you as the President of the All India Congress Committee. 

A leader that leads one of the oldest political party of our nation. 

A political party that is slowly losing relevance in India because its leaders cannot rise above their sycophancy to one family – your family Sonia Gandhi.

Two youth leaders from your Congress unit in Mumbai have attacked a reputed journalist from the Republic TV Network – Arnab Goswami and his wife.

A job of journalist is to seek the truth and bring it to the people; so as to assist citizens of our nation to make informed decisions on socio-politico and economic affairs.

Arnab within his right questioned your silence over the Palghar killing of two revered priests belonging to the Hindu religion by a violent mob.

The state in which the incident occurred is a state that Congress is in alliance partner with the ruling government. I do not for a moment believe that he was stoking any communal overtures. He was just being brutally honest and to his nature aggressive in his questioning. 

You have on several occasions raised your voice against human right violations before but on this gruesome and barbaric incident, you preferred to keep a stoic silence.

Not only Arnab but even I want to know whether your silence on the gruesome mob-killing of two priests in Palghar was because they were Hindus and not Muslims or Christian priests. I hope it was not because if it was it would be sad thing to do.

In his exuberance during his TV debate, he referred to you as Antonia Maino. I do not see what is offensive about him referring to you in your maiden Italian name. Antonia Maino is your birth name, your name changed to Sonia Gandhi after your marriage to Indira Gandhi’s son Rajiv Gandhi. He did not commit any crime calling you Antonio Maino.

Congress might not like Arnab Goswami. Congress might be offended by his constant focus on the Vadra Gandhi family. Congress might be angry by his constant focus on the failures of the Congress party and its leaders. 

You, yourself, Sonia Gandhi, might be raging mad at his persistent ridiculing of your children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra; and the pathetic performance display in their political life. 

But in all this annoyance – whether it is you or the Congress leaders – you cannot launch a physical attack on Arnab and his family. You have no right to do so.

The two Congress slaves that attacked Arnab would not have done so without orders from a senior leader or leaders on the top either in Maharashtra or Delhi.

The act is shameful, condemnable, cowardly and downright spineless.

You can hate Arnab’s kind of journalism and that’s fine. You have the courts to take your grievances too. Some Congress leaders to the best of my knowledge have filed complaints against Arnab Goswami already.

Congress youth leaders taking law into their own hands with orders from higher-ups is an attack on the nation.

I am sure Sonia Gandhi, you are not used to fearless journalists. Most of the journalists pampered and fattened during the Congress regimes might have sold their ethics of journalism for a few crumbs from Congress’s table but this country still has some journalists who will not be intimidated by cowardly attacks of paid goons.

An attack on a journalist is an attack on the democratic principles of our nation.

I can assure you that you, your son and your daughter are working tirelessly towards a Congress Mukt Bharat. This is slowly but surely becoming a reality. You better brace yourself for this truth. 

In New India, journalism is not parroted dictates that come from 10 Janpath. Nor is it constant rebranding your son and daughter, failed politicians, revived over and over again with paid media articles in prominent newspaper and TV channels.

Such kind of sycophancy by the Lutyens media to the Nehru family is like slow poison destroying the fourth-pillar of India’s democracy. 

There is a level of sycophancy to the current ruling government too in some cases and with some journalists. That unfortunately is the bane of our corrupt system. But it not so blatant and sycophantic as with the Congress slaves in media.

I am optimistic that slowly the journalism of today is getting to be about stories irrespective of caste, creed and political preference. It is about the truth and will only be about the truth.

That’s why the attack on a journalist – Arnab Goswami – exposes the inaptitude of the Congress to criticism constructively when it especially involves you Sonia Gandhi. That slave like sycophancy is dangerous for our democracy.

The mental harassment meted out to Arnab and his wife by some in the Mumbai police is an expected act of obedience to some political masters.

The startling fact that the two youth leaders had emergency lockdown passes during COVID-19 lockdown reeks of a big conspiracy to harm Arnab and his wife. 

I do not know if the Shiv Sena-led government under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray has the spine to get to the bottom of the case on the attack on Arnab and his wife because of the involvement of Congress leaders but I do know that it will not stop Arnab from exposing the Congress evermore now.

I stand with Arnab. He is family to me. The attack on him has only stirred up a hornet’s nest in like-minded journalists. An attack on one our fellow journalist is an attack on all journalists who fight for the truth with their lives.

India stands with Arnab. Don’t attack journalists!

It is time you tell the nation you stand on the cowardly act by one of the Congress youth leaders. Do you have the courage to remove them for this attack on a journalist or will you Sonia Gandhi remain a silent spectator.

India will judge you for your decision on this incident.