BRS leaders slam arrest of journos; pan Revanth govt
Condemningthe arrest of three journalists, Bharat Rashtra Samithi leaders on Wednesday demanded the immediate release of the scribes, alleging that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is attempting to stifle the media. Senior BRS figures, including KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao, strongly criticised the manner in which the arrests were conducted during the festival season.
Taking to X, KT Rama Rao stated that the Congress rule in Telangana reminds citizens of the Emergency era. He expressed disappointment with how the DGP is treating journalists like criminals, suggesting that the police should have served notices and called them for investigation rather than entering their homes in the dead of night. He questioned why the Telangana police decided to terrorise the journalists and their families with midnight arrests when none of the sections applied were non-bailable. He urged the DGP to follow due legal process and avoid being part of the dirty politics of the Congress party.
Targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, KT Rama Rao noted that the Telangana branch of the party is trampling upon constitutional rights. He alleged that three journalists were effectively abducted by state police, with officers breaking open doors in one instance. He argued that since the case involved only bailable sections, the police could have simply issued a BNSS Section 35 notice. He remarked that such repression of digital and mainstream media has become a hallmark of Revanth Reddy’s administration.
BRS deputy floor leader T Harish Rao further alleged that Revanth Reddy is using the police as a private army. He questioned whether journalists were being treated as terrorists and described the midnight arrests as outrageous. He claimed that Commissioner Sajjanar was speaking like a political worker and cited the filing of an SC/ST Atrocities case against a Dalit journalist as proof of perverse actions. T Harish Rao suggested that the Chief Minister is displaying a long-standing animosity towards the media, recalling previous comments where the leader spoke of slapping journalists.
T Harish Rao also highlighted that one of the arrested journalists was reportedly on leave in Sabarimala when the incident occurred. He described the arrest of an unrelated person as a testament to authoritarianism. He challenged the police manual and questioned why no Special Investigation Team was formed when controversial comments were made against KT Rama Rao in the past. He further accused the government of protecting ministers involved in land encroachments while transferring honest officials. Several other BRS leaders joined the condemnation, stating that these acts represent a dark period for democratic freedom in the state.
