ONGOLE/GUNTUR/NELLORE: Lashing out at the State government’s latest GO 2430 for taking legal action against the media persons, media houses and TV channels for ‘false news’, Journalist unions took to the streets across the State on Friday. Describing it as muzzling the freedom of the press, journalist unions demanded that the State government immediately withdraw the controversial GO.
“What the State government doing is very undemocratic. It wants to control the media by hook or crook, which is immoral. The GO is most objectionable and we demand it be immediately cancelled,” Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) State president IV Subba Rao said at a protest rally in Ongole. Several journalists from different newspapers and media houses participated in the rally, sporting black badges and decrying government move. They carried banners and placards with slogans condemning the GO.
They stopped the vehicles of Ministers Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, Adimulapu Suresh, MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and Prakasam district collector Pola Bhaskar. The agitating journalist union leaders explained to them why they are opposing the GO. “Previously, the then CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy brought a similar order — GO No 938 — in 2009, but he withdrew the same following objections from the Journalist unions. Now, making some changes, the same GO has been issued again by the present government. We condemn the move and demand the GO be cancelled,” Subba Rao said.
APWUJ Guntur district president SN Meera lamented that the GO curtails the freedom of the press and government should desist from preventing the facts reaching the people. The State Small and Medium Newspapers Association State joint secretary M Srinivas Rao and others also participated in the protest.
Similar protests were also held in Nellore district. APUWJ State secretary A Jaya Prakash, who led the protest, said the government was trying to gag the media, which is not proper or democratic. “Such suppression of the press freedom will not let the facts and the truth see the light of the day,” he maintained. In Srikakulam district, journalists took out a bike rally demanding immediate withdrawal of the GO. The Opposition TDP condemned the GO and described it the government’s move to control the media.
TDP to continue fight till scrapping of GO
“Who gave them the right to muzzle the press and ask the bureaucrats to file the suits against the media for reporting the facts. It is condemnable,” senior TDP leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu had already announced that he will fight tooth and nail against the State government’s move to curb the freedom of the press. “Our fight will continue until the GO is withdrawn,” he said.