The arrest of two journalists of a popular Telugu news channel โNTVโ, ย for airing a controversial report insinuating a relationship between a woman IAS officer and a state minister, has triggered a political storm in Telangana.
The TV channelโs input editor Donthu Ramesh, along with Paripurna Chari and Sudheer, were also taken into custody by the police. They were granted conditional bail by the 14th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) in Hyderabad in the early hours of Thursday. ย
The arrests were made based on a complaint filed by the secretary of the Telangana IAS Officersโ Association and Special Chief Secretary to the government Jayesh Ranjan, seeking action against the journalists for defaming the woman officer by airing a highly objectionable, false, baseless and malicious content. The complainant sought action against the NTV management and the journalists. Its controversial content was later picked and circulated widely by other media outlets and through social media platforms like YouTube. ย
Five days after the programme went on air, the government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the leadership of VC Sajjanar, the Hyderabad police commissioner.
On Tuesday evening, the NTV management issued an apology after consultations with legal advisers, leading many to believe the matter had de-escalated. However, the late-night detentions triggered sharp political reactions.
The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao slammed the Congress government over the arrests.
โI strongly condemn the arrest of three journalists on a festival day. The Congress rule in Telangana is reminiscent of the Emergency days,โ he said.
โIt is unfortunate that the Telangana DGP is treating journalists like criminals. You could have issued them notices and summoned them for questioning. But barging into journalistsโ homes in the middle of the night is definitely an overreach,โ he added.
โNone of the sections are non-bailable, so why did the Telangana police decide to terrorise journalists and their families with midnight arrests? I urge the Telangana DGP to follow due legal process and not become a party to the dirty politics of the Congress party and its incompetent leadership,โ he said.
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KTR also condemned Rahul Gandhiโs stance on this issue.
โI hope you are noticing how your Mohabbat Ki Dukaan (Shop of Love) branch in Telangana is trampling upon the constitutional rights of citizens. Last night, three journalists were abducted by the state police. The police broke down the doors of the journalistsโ homes,โ he said.
โThis is a case with only bailable sections; the police could have simply issued a notice under BNSS Section 35. This kind of suppression of the media and digital media has now become characteristic of your colleague Revanth Reddyโs rule in Telangana!โ he added.
Former minister and senior BRS leader T Harish Rao condemned the arrests, calling them vindictive and undemocratic.
โThis is a direct assault on democratic values and the self-respect of Telanganaโs media,โ Harish Rao said, questioning the use of SITs and late-night police action against journalists. He said he also spoke to the DGP Shivdhar Reddy, seeking an explanation for the urgency of the midnight detentions and asking why notices were not issued instead of arrests, which caused distress to family members.
Drawing parallels with the Emergency era, Harish Rao accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of following the footsteps of Indira Gandhi, alleging an attempt to silence critics.
The BJP also condemned the detentions. Telangana BJP President N Ramchander Rao said the arrests reflected an โEmergency mindsetโ and asserted that the party stood firmly for press freedom and democratic values.
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy too condemned the arrests, terming it an attack on freedom of press and democratic values.