HYDERABAD: Expressing anguish over “fake news” alleging political interference in the transfer and posting of IAS officers, R&B Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Saturday warned of action against media outlets behind what he described as baseless reports.
He said such false reporting amounted to mental harassment and could have serious consequences. “Subjecting me to mental harassment through false reports is unjust and unacceptable,” he said, adding that such fake stories could lead to suicides. Speaking emotionally, he said: “I am the kind of person who responds to every pain in society.
That is my nature. If you think troubling me will achieve something, you can go ahead. I am already living with pain after the loss of my son. I am a Telangana agitator, but today they are harassing me mentally. Even if this is not enough, poison me and kill me.
Those who commit wrongs, God will punish. After my son’s demise, I started the Prateek Foundation and am doing social service.”
The matter, he said, had been discussed with the DGP, following which senior police and intelligence officials were directed to conduct an inquiry into the origin and spread of the reports. Action would be taken after the inquiry report was submitted, he added.
Rejecting any suggestion of ministerial interference, Venkat Reddy said individual ministers had no role in the transfer or posting of collectors or IAS officers. “IAS postings are decided solely by the chief minister as per established norms. Any suggestion of ministerial or political interference is false,” he said.
Venkat: Media must maintain standards
Venkat expressed concern over what he termed a deliberate campaign on social media and certain television channels, particularly targeting women IAS officers, including those working in the Chief Minister’s Office. He said becoming an IAS officer was not easy and cautioned against making allegations without evidence, appealing to media organisations to follow professional standards.
Reflecting on his public life, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy recalled resigning from a ministerial post during the Telangana movement and said he had continued public service despite personal loss.
He said he had been elected five times as MLA and once as MP, and had undertaken social service after the death of his son.
Referring to the Sankranti travel rush, he said that officials estimate that around 12 lakh vehicles would be on the roads during the season. “Directions have been issued to allow toll-free movement when congestion occurs at toll plazas,” he said
IPS, IFS CONDEMN TV REPORT
The Telangana IPS Officers Association and the IFS Association on Saturday condemned a television news report aired against a woman IAS officer, terming it false, baseless and defamatory. Targeting women officers through unverified claims, fabricated narratives and selective distortion of administrative processes was reprehensible and reflected a regressive and misogynistic mindset, the association said. It demanded a public apology and withdrawal of the defamatory content from all platforms