VIJAYAWADA: The YSR Congress has condemned police action of gagging the voice of film director Ram Gopal Varma and film producer Rakesh Reddy by preventing them from addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Sunday citing potential law and order problem. Speaking to the media here on Monday, YSRC publicity convener TS Vijaya Chander demanded to know on what grounds Varma and others were not allowed to speak to the media in Vijayawada.
“Should nothing be spoken about Lakshmi’s NTR? If that is the case, what purpose does the Censor Board serve? If there was anything objectionable, it would have already mentioned the same, is it not?” he asked. He wanted to know if Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh would be treated the same way by the police in Vijayawada. He said police stopping Varma and others from addressing the media was a violation of the fundamental right of expression. “It clearly shows, Naidu’s government is clearly violated the fundamental rights of a citizen,” he said.
He also pointed out that it was Naidu who gave publicity to NTR biopic Kathanayakudu and Mahanayakudu and wondered what was the difference when it comes to another biopic. He reminded Naidu that in the past, NTR did not object when three movies on the TDP founder were released. He asserted that TDP will bite the dust and YSRC will form the government after May 23.
Human Rights Forum condemns police action
The Human Rights Forum (HRF) condemned the police action against Ram Gopal Varma and his team on Sunday and described it as undemocratic behaviour. In a press release, HRF district convener
G Rohit said police could have regulated the proceedings and ensured that the press meet went off peacefully instead of preventing the director from holding it.