Journalists take to streets demanding to withdraw police case against T News reporter

Journalists in Khammam and Warangal staged protests against police cases filed on T News reporter V Sambasiva Rao, demanding withdrawal and condemning attacks on the fourth pillar of democracy over urea shortage reporting

Khammam/Warangal: Journalists in erstwhile Khammam and Warangal districts staged protests on Monday against the booking of cases against a T News reporter and others by Konijerla police.

A large number of journalists under the banner of TUWJ (TJF) and TUWJ (IJU) took out a protest rally carrying black flags and staged a dharna at Ambedkar Centre in Khammam. They condemned the dictatorial attitude of the State and demanded the withdrawal of the cases filed against T News reporter V Sambasiva Rao and two others.

The office bearers of the journalist unions, Ram Narayana, A Adinarayana, Enugu Venkateswara Rao, and others stated that it was wrong to file cases against journalists for exposing the plight of farmers due to urea shortage.

In Kothagudem, journalists staged a protest at the district collectorate and submitted a memorandum to Collector AO Ramakrishna and district B Rohith Raju seeking withdrawal of the cases against the T News reporter. Speaking on the occasion, leaders of different journalist unions Kalloji Srinivas, Junumala Ramesh, and Dasari Venkateswara Rao said it was shameful that police booked the journalist under BNS Section 151 along with other stringent sections for highlighting farmers’ problems.

In Warangal, a massive dharna led by TUWJ (143) district president K Narender was staged at the Ambedkar statue at Warangal municipal office. He said incidents of attacks, atrocities, and illegal cases against journalists, who are the fourth pillar of democracy, were increasing in Telangana.