Police foil BJP leaders’ attempt to hold protest in support of Arnab Goswami at Rajghat

Police on Sunday detained BJP leaders Kapil Mishra and Tajinder Bagga and foiled their bid to hold a protest at Rajghat here in support of journalist Arnab Goswami, arrested in connection with a 2018 abetment of suicide case of an interior designer.

The two BJP leaders were whisked away to Rajender Nagar police station as they tried to stage a dharna near Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat in the morning.

Mr Mishra, a former minister of the Delhi government, said the protest was planned to support Mr Goswami against his arrest by police in Maharashtra.

“It’s a first in the country that not only a journalist has been arrested, his family members have also been booked just because he questioned the government. We are against this atrocity against Goswami committed by the Maharashtra government,” he said.

Also read: Arnab Goswami fails to get relief from Bombay High Court

A senior police officer said 23 people, including Mr Mishra and Mr Bagga, were detained around 10.30 a.m. as they tried to violate orders and insisted on holding a protest at Rajghat. They were later released.

Mr Goswami was arrested on Wednesday from his residence at Lower Parel in Mumbai for allegedly abetting the suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik, and was taken to the Alibaug police station in neighbouring Raigad district.

He was remanded in judicial custody till November 18 by a local court.