Breach of privilege motion against Arnab Goswami, Kangana Ranaut

Arnab Goswami. Pic/Getty Images; Kangana Ranaut. Pic/Nimesh Dave

The Maha Vikas Aghadi members in the Maharashtra Legislature have moved a breach of privilege motion against the editor of a private news channel, Arnab Goswami, and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut.

Senior Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik submitted the motion against Goswami in the Assembly, charging him for using derogatory language against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) boss Sharad Pawar.

Congress veteran Bhai Jagtap filed the motion against Kangana in the upper house for comparing Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Both personalities have also been accused of defaming the Mumbai police.

The presiding officers hadn't decided on accepting the motion for further action which includes cross examination of the people involved by a privilege committee of the houses. The committee recommends punishment, including imprisonment, for the guilty. In some instances, journalists, activists and bureaucrats have been punished.

MVA vs BJP

Sarnaik's motion was supported by parliamentary affair minister Anil Parab, who said Arnab acted like a judge and used foul language against the CM and Pawar. "He is a tin pot journalist, who has been contracted (by some people) to malign the image of our leaders. If this house can make a law to protect journalists from violence, it can also take action against such a journalist," said Parab.

Parab asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) whether it gets hurt when someone insults the prime minister. "You should support our move and condemn such journalists," he said. Senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal also spoke in support of the motion. But prompted by certain remarks from the MVA side, the opposition took up a noisy protest. The house was adjourned twice before Deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal said due procedure will be followed.

'What about the PM and governor?'

Debating the supplementary demand later in the day, opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis asked the government if it wanted to suppress the media by using legislative tools. "We don't support derogatory language against the CM or any other leader. Will you apply the same yardstick to Saamana (Sena's mouthpiece) that uses highly objectionable words against the PM and the Maharashtra governor?

We definitely want the CM to be respected, but we don't like your double standard in respect with the PM and governor," said the ex-CM, adding that he could say the Mumbai police was the best after working five years as the home minister, but didn't understand who put them under pressure to delay and divert the Sushant Singh Rajput death probe. Fadnavis reminded the house that (the CM) Thackeray had also insulted the police by saying that "their ability was restricted to the job of cleaning utensils'.

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