Taking strong exception to the arrest of senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has said that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has sent a stern message—”toe our line or face consequences.”
Describing the arrest as a ‘blot on democracy’, YSRCP State coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Monday said, “The government has nothing to boast about its one-year term other than being a failed administration.”
Mr. Srinivasa Rao was arrested in connection with the alleged derogatory remarks made by political analyst V.V.R. Krishnam Raju against the women from Amaravati during a debate aired on Sakshi TV. Police complaints were lodged against Mr. Krishnam Raju.
“Mr. Srinivasa Rao, who was moderating the debate, had cautioned the political analyst against making remarks based on a media report. The presenter did not elaborate on the point, nor did it receive further attention. It was a brief moment. Regrets came only after witnessing the sinister design of Mr. Naidu to blow the issue up into a major one,” Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy alleged.
“On a previous occasion, Mr. Naidu had ensured that Mr. Srinivasa Rao was removed from a TV channel for his straightforward journalism,” he alleged.
“It was the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its supported media outlets that rose in unison and kept the pot boiling for three days. Despite Mr. Srinivasa Rao’s clarification and analyst Mr. Krishnam Raju’s explanation, the issue was widely circulated,” he said.
The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, the TDP leaders and their propaganda machinery have amplified the issue in a concerted and organised manner, culminating in the journalist’s arrest. Despite Sakshi TV distancing itself from the analyst’s remarks and clearly stating that it does not endorse such views, which were Mr. Krishnam Raju’s personal opinion, the narrative continued, he said.
The TDP and its supported media network escalated the issue, targeting the YSRCP leadership. Instead of closing the matter with the clarification and regret expressed, the dissent was deliberately stirred up to divert attention from the government’s failure in implementing welfare schemes, he said.
“The YSRCP leader and cadres have often been insulted during media debates, with moderators encouraging toxic remarks. However, our party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has never retaliated or resorted to personal attacks. Civil society and intellectuals must seriously reflect on the message—Toe our line, or face arrest. This is dangerous and must be condemned,” Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy said.
With the completion of one year in office and nothing to show for achievements, the government has resorted to diversion politics, he alleged.
Published – June 10, 2025 05:16 am IST
