Hyderabad: Telangana BJP President N. Ramchander Rao on Wednesday condemned the midnight arrest of three NTV journalists at Hyderabad airport. He called it a serious assault on press freedom and on democratic principles. The BJP leader expressed grave concern over the treatment of NTV journalists by authorities.
He accused the Congress government of reviving Emergency-era tactics and alleged that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was following in the footsteps of Indira Gandhi by resorting to censorship and intimidation. Rao said the arrests were aimed at silencing NTV journalists and other critical voices rather than addressing legitimate public scrutiny.
BJP compares Congress action to Emergency-era suppression
Drawing parallels with past regimes, Rao said that while the previous BRS government tried to curb dissent by banning media outlets, now, the current Congress administration has escalated the crackdown by detaining journalists. According to him, NTV journalists have become a symbol of the growing pattern of authoritarian governance.
Rao warned that attacking journalists for performing their duties signals democratic decay. “A free press is the backbone of democracy,” he said. Notably, the arrest of NTV journalists has sparked outrage among media advocates. He added that such actions reveal fear and intolerance within the state’s leadership.
He reaffirmed the BJP’s commitment to media freedom. Rao stated that the party would firmly oppose any misuse of state machinery to suppress the press.