Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy issued a stern warning against individuals allegedly posing as journalists and posting offensive content about public representatives, stating that they would be stripped and paraded in public.
Referring to the recent arrest of two female journalists for allegedly posting derogatory content about him and his family, Revanth Reddy lost his cool on the floor of the Assembly on Saturday, March 15.
The police claimed the journalists were involved in spreading “defamatory content and conspiracy” against the CM. However, the Editors Guild of India condemned the arrests. It is believed that the action followed the publication of a video on one journalist’s YouTube channel, in which a farmer criticised Revanth Reddy.
Addressing the issue, Reddy stated that he would not remain silent while a “venomous culture” of spreading derogatory content under the guise of journalism was allowed to thrive on social media.
Reddy added that he was open to discussions with journalist unions and, if necessary, would introduce legislation to regulate content in the state. He directed the IT and industries minister Sridhar Babu to engage with journalist unions and compile a list of recognised journalists who would be “spared, while those outside the list would be dealt with separately.”
“Don’t think I’m silent because I am the chief minister. I will strip you and have you thrashed. There are lakhs who will take to the streets to beat you up. But I am being tolerant because of my position. Whatever I do, I will do within the ambit of the law,” he asserted.
His remarks come amid the arrest of journalists who criticised him, raising concerns over press freedom in the state.
Revanth Reddy challenged BRS chief and former Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) to a debate in the Assembly over Krishna water sharing with Andhra Pradesh. He alleged that KCR had committed a permanent injustice to Telangana by allowing Andhra Pradesh to siphon Krishna waters to the Rayalaseema region.
During his speech in the special Assembly session on Saturday, 15 March, Revanth Reddy, along with Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, claimed they had sufficient data to prove these allegations. He vowed to apologise if proven wrong.
He accused KCR of surrendering Telangana’s interests in Krishna river water sharing and permitting Andhra Pradesh to take a larger share by submitting to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) in 2021-22 that Telangana’s claim was only 299 TMCFT out of the total 899 TMCFT allocated to undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Revanth Reddy criticised KCR’s absence in the Assembly, stating that since the formation of the new government, he had attended only two sessions while drawing a salary of Rs 57,84,124 as an MLA.
He also took a shot at BRS MLAs for criticising the governor’s speech, asserting that it reflected the government’s achievements. “If they wish to give suggestions, they are welcome to do so, but not by criticising the governor,” he remarked.
