VIJAYAWADA: Taking strong exception to the arrest of senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, YSRCP State coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said the arrest is a blot on democracy.
The anchor, while moderating a debate on a TV channel, had cautioned the analyst about passing the remarks, which were based on a media report. The presenter did not extend the discussion on the point, nor was it highlighted further. Regret only came later after witnessing the sinister design of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to blow it up into a major issue, Sajjala said.
“It was TDP and its media outlets that rose in unison, and kept the pot boiling for three days. Despite Kommineni’s clarification and analyst Krishnam Raju’s explanation, the issue was widely circulated. From Naidu to Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, TDP leaders and their propaganda machinery amplified it in a concerted, organised manner-culminating in the journalist’s arrest,” Sajjala said.
The media narrative went on despite the TV channel distancing itself from the analyst’s remarks, and clearly stating that it does not endorse such views, which were Krishnam Raju’s personal, the YSRCP leader said.
The TDP and its media network escalated the issue, targeting the YSRCP leadership and family. Instead of closing the matter with the clarification and regret expressed, dissent was deliberately stirred from Srikakulam to Chittoor to divert public attention from the government’s failure to implement schemes, he said.