New Delhi, 13 March 2025: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) condemns the arrest of Taytasaheb alias Tushar Abaji Kharat, Editor, Lay Bhari, a local YouTube channel, by the Satara police from Mumbai, Maharashtra, on Sunday 9 March in two cases -- hurling casteist remarks against a BJP functionary and ‘defaming’ state rural development minister Jaykumar Gore in a case going back to 2017. The Union demanded that he be released immediately as the case appears to be politically motivated.   

According to media reports, a case was registered on Saturday at Vaduj police station in Satara, and Kharat booked on charges against a BJP media cell functionary Shekhar Patole who is also an aide of state rural development minister Jaykumar Gore. The complaint made by Patole were against remarks by Kharat in November last year, on the YouTube channel. In the other case Gore filed a complaint with the police on Sunday alleging Kharat conspired to defame him by raking up sexual assault and molestation cases in 2017 and demanding Rs 5 crore from him. 

Incidentally, the arrest comes days after Gore moved a breach of privilege motion against Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, MLA Rohit Pawar and Kharat, who recently were demanding Gore’s resignation over allegations of him harassing a woman and sending objectionable photos to her. 

In a statement IJU President and former member of Press Council of India Geetartha Pathak and Secretary General and Vice President, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Sabina Inderjit said Kharat has published a story on the basis of allegations on the floor of state Assembly by some Opposition leaders and therefore arresting him smacked of vendetta. Kharat was doing his job and not committed any crime. The IJU demanded release of the journalist and also urged the government to drop charges against him.