Why is KCR so frustrated with media?

Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy have been doing an extremely good job in the given circumstances in containing the spread of Coronavirus in the respective states.

Their official machineries are putting in their best efforts to ensure that the people are not put to untold suffering, while the police machinery is also doing a commendable job in enforcing the lockdown. The policemen are virtually doing 24X7 job on the roads braving scorching sun.

But at the same time, even the media persons are putting in no less efforts to inform the public. Braving summer heat and occasional lathi charges by police, they are also going even to rural areas to present the pictures of lockdown and conveying information to the people about Coronavirus from time to time.

Yet, the Telangana chief minister appears to be treating the media persons with contempt. The reason is simple: he is not able to digest any negative stories against the government in the media and face any uncomfortable questions from them in the press conferences.

For the last few days, there has been a discussion going on in the media groups in their WhatsApp groups about the aggressive behaviour of KCR and his shouting at the media persons who posed embarrassing questions in his press meets.

There was also a discussion on signing a protest letter to the government against KCR’s rude behaviour towards the media.

At the same time, there were also angry posts against some senior journalists including so-called journalist union leaders who have been rehabilitated in various official posts for keeping silent when KCR was shouting at their colleagues.

Naturally, these discussions were also brought to the notice of the chief minister by those journalists closer to him. So, on Sunday, KCR gave vent to his frustrated at the social media campaign against him.

“Those who are spreading negative campaign in the social media would have to face stringent punishment. I myself will show them what kind of punishment they would face. If some fools think they are big and can get away with their comments, they are mistaken. They would experience 100 times harsher punishment,” KCR said.

He went to the extent of cursing that such people who spread canards against the government would have to die of Coronavirus.