'Politics of fear': Congress slams Modi government over arrest of Gujarat newspaper's owner

The Congress on Friday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government over the arrest of newspaper owner from Gujarat, saying, "politics of fear that has now become the identity of the Modi government".

On Thursday night, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested one of the owners, Bahubali Shah, of leading Gujarati daily newspaper ‘Gujarat Samachar’, on the charge of financial fraud.

One of the largest circulated vernacular newspapers, Gujarat Samachar, was established in 1932. It is jointly run by Shah and his brother Shreyansh Shah.

Reacting to the arrest, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Modi ji recently said in an interview that criticism is the soul of democracy. Gujarat Samachar is a 93-year-old organisation, whose senior founder Bahubali Bhai Shah was arrested by the ED. Modi has proved that arresting critics is the first sign of a scared dictator! Anyone who raises a voice against this government or who does not compromise with the BJP will have to go to jail," he said.

He alleged that the government was putting a pressure on the independent media and using it in its favour, which was fatal for democracy. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition (LOP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said an attempt to "silence Gujarat Samachar is another conspiracy to suppress the voice of not just one newspaper but the entire democracy."

"When newspapers that hold power accountable are locked, then democracy is in danger," he added.

Rahul said the arrest of Shah was a part of the same “politics of fear that has now become the identity of the Modi government”.

"The country will not be run by sticks or fear. India will be run by truth and the Constitution," he said.

Congress national general secretary KC Venugopal, while criticising the government over the move, said, “Gujarat Samachar is fearless in its critique of the Modi-led BJP regime. The ED’s arrest of owner Bahubali Shah is the BJP’s way of making independent media bend and toe the regime’s line."

"This also reeks of the BJP’s familiar modus operandi of using investigative agencies to pressure companies into selling to Adani. Be it the Mumbai Airport or NDTV — the pattern was clear: Firstly, Adani identifies the target company. Secondly, the ⁠ED/CBI conducts raids, arrests owners. Thirdly, ⁠magically, deals are signed handing over ownership to Adani," he said.

"We stand with Gujarat Samachar and Bahubali Shah in the face of this authoritarian pressure. This is a blatant misuse of investigative agencies and completely against the spirit of the Constitution," he added.