VISAKHAPATNAM : The office of Deccan Chronicle in Visakhapatnam was allegedly attacked by TDP activists on Wednesday, following a report published in the English daily on privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). They reportedly climbed over the compound wall, damaged the name board and set fire to a flex.
Reacting to the incident, HRD Minister Nara Lokesh expressed his views on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The news article is pure paid fiction carried out at the behest of the YSR Congress Party to create unrest and destroy the brand image of Visakhapatnam. No stone will be unturned by the NDA government to ensure VSP regains its former glory. We have promised, and we will deliver.” He further condemned the attack on the English daily office, urging party activists to exercise restraint.
Former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy condemned the attack, taking to social media. “I strongly condemn this cowardly attack on the office of the Deccan Chronicle by people associated with the TDP. This is yet another attempt to stifle media that doesn’t blindly toe the line of the TDP and always chooses to be unbiased. Democracy in Andhra Pradesh is being continuously violated under the new regime, and the Andhra Pradesh CM must take responsibility for this,” he posted on X.
“As a responsible regional party that has been in the political landscape for more than four decades, the TDP should know that there are other recourses the party can take if it doesn’t agree with the news written about them. TDP or any other political party should maintain restraint and strengthen the democratic process instead of undermining it. I strongly condemn the attack perpetrated by the TDP supporters and demand that the government take stringent action against the accused to ensure that this incident doesn’t become a precedent for political parties to take this path,” said Amar Devulapalli Steering Committee member of Indian Journalists Union.