Gujarat Samachar editor arrested for raising questions over Pahalgam terror attack: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday alleged managing editor of Gujarat-based newspaper Bahubali Shah was arrested for questioning the government over Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 26 people dead.

On May 15, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Shah — one of the owners 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.

“Today whole India wants to see when terrorists responsible for Pahalgam terror attack would be arrested. Where are they: whether they have gone back to Pakistan or they continue to remain on Indian soil. It was due to these questions raised by this newspaper that its managing editor was detained," Congress leader Jignesh Mevani told reporters at AICC headquarters in New Delhi. He also alleged that the government’s focus was to shut the voices which are “showing a mirror to the RSS, BJP and Modi".

“They don’t want to arrest terrorists. That is why a 25-year-old case has been brought back. Several media outlets in the past, including Newsclick, Newslaundry, Dainik Bhaskar and the BBC, have been targeted. They (BJP) don’t want intellectuals, activists and Opposition to raise questions," said Mevani, who is also a legislator from Gujarat.

He said ‘Gujarat Samachar’ had been continuously questioning Modi. “It has raised questions to the Congress as well. It has written against me. But, that doesn’t mean we took revenge or sent the CBI and the ED to them. For 25 years, they have been writting against Shah and Modi. It is vendetta politics that the 73-year-old Bahubali Shah, who is suffering from multiple illnesses, has been arrested."

“Instead of being afraid of answering questions, the government should announce a special Parliament session to clear things in the aftermath of Pahalgam terror attack,” he said. 

He also alleged that houses of “poor people" from backward communities, including SCs, STs and OBCs, were being demolished in Gujarat, while corporate giants were being given lands to build their estates in the state by the Modi government.

Senior Congress leader Lalji Desai, who is also the president of the Seva Dal, too, accused the government of arresting journalists, instead of terrorists. 

“They talked about arresting terrorists, they are instead arresting journalists… Journalists are being targeted. Gauri Lankesh killed… People who raise their voice are being targeted. You are arresting a person in a money laundering case which is 25 years old. You were the CM. What were you doing then?" questioned Desai. 

India