The investigation into the TRP scam by the Mumbai police is getting bigger and bigger with each passing day. The supplementary charge-sheet has voluminous chat transcript containing dozens, if not hundreds, of sensational as well as mundane conversations that transpired between Arnab Goswami and Partho Dasgupta on Whatsapp. As per the chat, Goswami knew about Balakot air strike 3 days beforehand. He also boasts about his political connection in the present regime. In some of the conversations even there is talk about ‘buying’ judges and deciding portfolios for ministers.
The disclosure merits a thorough inquiry since many of the issues raised in their conversations pertained to national security. The opposition parties have sought investigation into it. What worries most is that he had some prior information on a retaliatory strike by India after the Pulwama terror attack. This definitely is a national security issue. Who were people at the helm of affairs who leaked such sensitive information to Goswami? What if the information had got into the hands of the enemy country? While it is a fact that journalists who have access to higher echelon of power do get to know the classified information, such information is not to be shared with others. Arnab has breached it and he needs to be held accountable for it. Also, it is a matter of worry that a person with a media background whose channel is widely watched boasts about his political clout in the present regime. People will lose trust in the media after such exposure.