NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Friday raised the issue of Arnab Goswami's Whatsapp chat in Parliament, saying the BJP-led NDA government "should be ashamed of protecting" him.
While speaking in Rajya Sabha during the Budget session on Friday, Raut attacked the government on its handling of the farmers protest and the sedition charges being slapped against many prominent leaders and journalists.
Saying that the government is slapping sedition on the alleged traitors, Raut rhetorically asked "You call these traitors. Are they traitors? So who is a patriot in our country? Arnab Goswami? Kangana Ranaut?"
"Because of whom an innocent man committed suicide in Maharashtra. The one who leaked the official secret of the country. The one who lead the official secret of the country. He is at your service, under your protection. This is a matter of national security but you don't talk on it.
The Pulwama attack, in which 40 CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel were killed, took place on February 14, 2019. In the midst of a WhatsApp conversation late in the evening of February 23, 2019, Goswami purportedly told Dasgupta, “On another note, something big will happen.” To Dasgupta’s “Dawood?” message, Goswami replied, “No sir, Pakistan. Something major will be done this time.”
"This same man wrote such bad words for Prakash Javadekar. You should be ashamed of protecting such a man," Raut said.
Raut also raised the issue of Deep Sidhu's arrest, saying the government has arrested farmers but not Deep Sidhu.
"Our PM got very sad at the insult of tricolour at Red fort. The whole nation got sad about it. But the one who insulted the tricolour at Red Fort - Deep Sidhu- Who is he? Who he works for? You say nothing on that," said Raut.
"This Sidhu has not been arrested but over 200 farmers have been arrested and kept at Tihar jail with a sedition case slapped on them."