Congress government treating journalists like terrorists, says Harish Rao

Former Minister T Harish Rao condemned the midnight arrest of journalists in Hyderabad, accusing the Congress government of abusing police power and suppressing the media. He alleged double standards in registering cases and vowed to stand by the journalist fraternity

Sangareddy: Condemning the arrest of three senior journalists in Hyderabad, former Minister T Harish Rao accused the Congress government of treating journalists like terrorists by arresting them at midnight. Speaking to news reporters in Zaheerabad on Wednesday, Rao said the police treated journalists like anti-social elements by arresting them on Sankranthi day.

He accused the government of trying to threaten media houses and keep them under its control through such actions. Instead, he said, the police should have summoned the journalists to their offices for questioning if they had done anything wrong.

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Harish Rao further accused Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar of acting like a Congress worker by merely following the directions of the government. He recalled that when the Congress was in the Opposition, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy spoke about media freedom but was now acting against the media.

The former minister said he was shocked that the police were attempting to register an SC ST Atrocities case against Dalit journalist Sudheer. He questioned the ethics of the police and the Congress government, pointing out that no case was registered against a Congress Minister despite his objectionable remarks against BRS Working President KT Rama Rao.

Accusing the police of maintaining double standards, Rao said no case was filed against AICC Secretary Sampath Kumar even though an NH 44 contractor had lodged a complaint accusing him of issuing threats. He said Congress leaders in Siddipet also made baseless comments against him but the police took no action. The police, he added, also did not register any cases against Rohin Reddy, a close associate of the Chief Minister, even though he allegedly threatened a contractor at gunpoint.

Accusing the Chief Minister of using the police as his private army, Rao said A Revanth Reddy remained silent even when the police entered the residence of Minister Konda Surekha at midnight. He vowed to stand by the journalist fraternity and fight until they were freed from the cases.