Kishan Reddy and BJP leaders slam State govt over midnight arrest of journalists
Telangana BJP leaders on Thursday issued a scathing critique of the state government and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy following the midnight arrests of three journalists. Union Minister Kishan Reddy, State BJP Chief Ramachander Rao, and Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender led the condemnation, describing the police action and the alleged forcible entry into the journalists’ homes as a direct assault on press freedom and democratic values.
Union Minister Kishan Reddy criticised the handling of the controversy, labelling the arrests as both unethical and premature. He noted that although the state had already established an eight-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter, the government appeared to have bypassed due process. Kishan Reddy questioned whether the Chief Minister lacked faith in his own SIT and demanded the immediate release of the journalists, reminding the administration that journalism serves as the fourth pillar of democracy.
Furthering the attack, State BJP President Ramachander Rao compared the current atmosphere in Telangana to the Emergency era. He accused the Congress government of reviving the most disturbing elements of the past, claiming that arresting media professionals in the dead of night reflects fear and a breakdown of democratic governance.
He remarked that while previous administrations had attempted to silence critics by banning channels, the current government has escalated tactics to an authoritarian level.
BJP Chief Spokesperson NV Subash described the incident as a “midnight murder of free speech” and accused the Congress of misusing state machinery to intimidate critics.
He suggested that the crackdown is a desperate attempt to divert public attention from governance failures and unfulfilled electoral promises. Subash warned that the citizens of Telangana would hold the government accountable in the forthcoming GHMC elections. The BJP leadership has pledged to stand firmly with the media fraternity against any attempts to throttle press freedom.
