Hyderabad: Hundreds of journalists from across Telangana staged a large-scale Maha Dharna in Hyderabad on Wednesday. They demanded immediate resolution of long-pending housing and welfare issues. The protest took place at the Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Commissioner’s office in Masab Tank and marked one of the largest journalist gatherings at the venue in recent years.
The Telangana Union of Working Journalists (TUWJ) organised the demonstration. Journalists from Hyderabad and other districts filled the roads around the I&PR office, raising slogans and pressing the government to act. They said their demands had been ignored for more than a decade.
Media bodies extend full support
The protest received strong backing from multiple journalist organisations. These included the Telangana Photo Journalists Association, Video Journalists Association, Small and Medium Newspapers Association, Women Journalists Wing, Telangana Urdu Journalists Association, Hyderabad Press Club, Jubilee Hills Housing Society, Jawaharlal Housing Society, and Telangana Journalists Association (TJA).
TUWJ State President K. Virahat Ali led the protest. Leaders from the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), including Devulapalli Amar, M.A. Majid, and National Secretary Y. Narender Reddy, also participated. TUWJ General Secretary K. Ramnarayana and IJU NEC members K. Satyanarayana and Nagunuri Shekhar were present as well.
Senior journalists join from across Hyderabad
Several senior journalists and association leaders also took part in the dharna. Hyderabad Press Club President Vijay Kumar Reddy, Vice-President A. Rajesh, and General Secretary Ramesh were among those present. Leaders of photo and video journalist groups, as well as housing society representatives, joined in solidarity.
Prominent women journalists including Vimala, Attaluri Aruna, Vakati Manjula, and Kalyanam Rajeswari—voiced their support on the ground.
Warning of intensified protest
Leaders said the journalist community had waited long enough. They warned that if the government failed to act swiftly, the protest would escalate in the coming days.