Sakshi anchor Kommineni arrested over remarks about Amaravati women, triggers statewide outrage
Hyderabad: In a development that has ignited widespread political and public outrage, senior journalist and Sakshi TV anchor Kommineni Srinivasa Rao was arrested on Monday by Andhra Pradesh police for allegedly making derogatory remarks about women from the Amaravati region during a televised debate.
Kommineni was taken into custody from his residence in Hyderabad’s Journalists’ Colony and transported to Andhra Pradesh, where he will be produced before a magistrate in Guntur district. The arrest follows an FIR registered at the Thullur Police Station, based on a complaint filed by State Madiga Corporation Director Khambampati Sirisha.
The case, which has quickly become a political flashpoint, also names political analyst VVR Krishnam Raju and the management of Sakshi TV. All accused have been booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and relevant sections of the IPC. The remarks, widely seen as offensive and misogynistic, have sparked fury among Amaravati’s women farmers many of whom had given up their land for the capital project.
The trigger was an alleged comment during a debate, in which Kommineni is reported to have referred to Amaravati as a “capital of prostitutes” a slur that has enraged land donors, women’s groups, and civil society activists. Joint Action Committees from the capital region have filed multiple complaints, calling the statement a deliberate insult to the dignity of women who contributed to the state’s future.
Deputy Speaker of the Assembly K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju called the statement “a vile attack” and filed a separate complaint with the Director General of Police, demanding swift action. “These aren’t just remarks they’re a direct assault on the self-respect of the women of Amaravati,” he said.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu came down heavily on the comments, condemning them as “vulgar, disgraceful, and completely out of line with civil discourse.” He accused Sakshi TV owned by former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of using its platform to humiliate women for political gain. “We honour our mothers and daughters. This kind of filth has no place in our society,” Naidu said.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said the remarks were part of a calculated attempt to defame the Amaravati movement and the women who supported it. “This isn’t accidental. It’s a scripted smear campaign. The government will not tolerate this,” he warned.
The YSR Congress Party, however, dismissed the backlash as a politically motivated attack. Party spokesperson Pothina Mahesh claimed the statements had been distorted and misused by the TDP to divert attention from ongoing protests. “This is TDP’s playbook amplify one remark, whip up outrage, and escape scrutiny,” he said.
He also alleged that TDP’s social media ecosystem regularly targeted YSRCP women leaders but faced no scrutiny. “Nara Lokesh and his digital wing have weaponised online platforms to slander our party. Their outrage now is nothing but staged hypocrisy,” Mahesh added.
As the controversy deepens, the arrest of Kommineni Srinivasa Rao has taken on larger dimensions touching upon media accountability, political vendetta, caste sensitivity, and the honour of women whose sacrifices built Amaravati. The issue now sits at the heart of a growing storm, with legal, social, and political ramifications unfolding by the hour.