Harish Rao terms journalists’ arrests attack on democracy

Senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao condemned the midnight arrest of three journalists, accusing the Congress government of vindictive and undemocratic actions. He demanded their immediate release and questioned the use of late-night raids against media personnel.

Hyderabad: Condemning the arrest of journalists on Tuesday midnight, former Minister and senior BRS leader T Harish Rao criticised the Congress government over its vindictive and undemocratic actions. He demanded the immediate release of all the arrested journalists.

Three journalists from a vernacular news channel were arrested for allegedly broadcasting defamatory content against a woman IAS officer.

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In a statement, Harish Rao said the incompetent Congress government was resorting to harassment of the media instead of addressing governance failures. He called the arrests a direct assault on democratic values and the self-respect of Telangana’s media.

“Is this the people’s rule you promised? Is this your idea of restoring democracy?” he said.

He questioned the government’s use of SITs and late-night raids, asking why journalists were being targeted with political vendetta and treated like criminals.

“Are they terrorists that you barge into their homes at midnight?” he asked, criticising the government for murdering democracy for its own survival.

Harish Rao also spoke to DGP Shivdhar Reddy over telephone and sought to know the urgency to arrest journalists at midnight. He asked why procedures like issuing notices were not followed, before arresting them and causing unnecessary mental agony to their family members.