Hyderabad: Journalist associations staged an accreditation cards protest in the city, demanding that the state government increase the number of cards for desk journalists and issue them to all eligible media personnel.
Under the banner of the Desk Journalists Association, journalists took out a rally from Gun Park to the state Media Academy on Nampally Chapel Road. Subsequently, they staged a dharna in front of the Academy and raised slogans seeking immediate action. Leaders of the Telangana Working Journalists Federation (TWJF) and Telangana Union of Working Journalists (TUWJ-143) extended support to the agitation.
Speaking at the venue, TWJF founder president and state convener Mamidi Somaiah criticised the government for not issuing new accreditation cards for the past two years. He alleged that journalists who had played a key role in the Telangana statehood movement were facing injustice.
Leaders warn of wider stir over accreditation cards protest
Somaiah said the previous government had issued 23,000 accreditation cards. In contrast, he noted that the present government had announced 44,000 cards but had not fully implemented the decision. He termed as “outrageous” the reduction of desk journalist accreditations from five to four per district edition centre, despite multiple desks operating in each district with one in-charge and four sub-editors.
He also demanded that accreditation cards for desk journalists in electronic media be increased to ensure fair representation. Meanwhile, TUWJ leader Yoganand said authorities must avoid discrimination in granting accreditations. He warned that journalists would launch a state-wide agitation, including a siege of the Secretariat, if the demands were ignored.
TWJF State Co-Convenor Tanniru Srinivas, Hyderabad District Convenor V. Ravikumar, Co-Convenor Brahmam, Desk Journalists Association President Upender and General Secretary Rajaram participated in the accreditation cards protest. The protesters later submitted a memorandum to Media Academy Secretary Venkateswara Rao.