Leaking classified info act of 'treason': Congress on Arnab Goswami's chat

Upping the ante against the government over journalist Arnab Goswamis purported social media chat leak the Congress on Wednesday described it as an act of treason and demanded an immediate inquiry over leaking of such classified information about the Balakot air strikesThe Congress also said it will raise the issue of the alleged chat leaks in Parliaments Budget sessionThe Congress brought out several senior members of the party to corner the government over the issue with former Defence Minister AK Antony former Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde former Law Minister Salman Khurshid and party spokesperson Pawan KheraAddressing a press conference here at the party headquarters Antony said The contents of the leaked chats between Goswami of Republic TV and the former CEO of BARC is a serious issue for the entire nationAntony said that for a very patriotic Indian it is a shock and a serious matter of concern because it affects national securityThe Congress leader said that it effects the security of armed forces especially in this case the security of brave air warriors And also in the way they Goswami and BARC CEO mentioned the martyrdom of 40 CRPF men is all a serious concern for us Antony saidHe said that the people of the country and the political parties might have differences on several issues but are united when it comes to national security cutting across the religious and party lines to protect the countryBut now it is very clear that classified documents that too considering the national security and also considering the most sensitive secret air strikes were available with the people who were not expected to know it and were not authorised to get these documents Antony saidHe said I am very sad and shocked over the leaked chats between Goswami and former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta and the language they used while mentioning the martyrdom of 40 CRPF troopersFiring salvos at the government the Congress leader said Three days before the Balakot air strikes how did one journalist come to know of the details of it It would have effected the operation and its effectivenessOnly very few people are expected to be in the know of such secret information to know the details of the military operations Even all the Cabinet ministers are not expected to get that as only a few handful of people and few military people are informed about such operations he saidThese documents were leaked to the media but not the entire media but to only one journalist by the people who were in top positions of the government he allegedLeaking official secrets about the military operation national security matters sensitive military operations especially air force strike is treason and antinational activity he allegedIt is not only criminal activity it is antinational activity and a treason Whoever has done they must be punished for antinational activities and treason he saidQuestioning the silence of the government over the issue Antony said Even till today the government has not said anything on this I am sure these antinational activities or leakage of secret military operations was among the four or five civilian people I dont suspect anybody But one of them is suspect It needs to be enquired immediately on a war footing And whoever is guilty should be punished for treasonHe also said that the journalist who got such secret military operation details has to be punishedUrgently the government must order an enquiry And whoever is responsible and whoever is part of the leakage of military operations should be shown no mercy and he has to be punished Antony saidShinde said that what Goswami has done is not just shameful for the country but also for journalism In last several years no media organisation or any journalist has done such act he saidHe said that the country has seen several wars and the governments of different parties but such an act of leakage of official secrets was never witnessedThey were celebrating on Pulwama after our 40 CRPF troopers were killed in a terror attack the former Home Minister said referring to the chats of Goswami and Partho DasguptaOn Tuesday former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had also slammed the government and said that leaking sensitive information related to national security to a journalist is a criminal act and persons behind this should be put in prisonThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever