The YSR Congress party on Tuesday held a protest demonstration in front of the office of ABN-Andhra Jyothy in Hyderabad expressing concern over certain writings published by managing director of the media house Vemuri Radhakrishna against former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
According to a party statement, the YSRCP leaders gathered near the ABN office and raised slogans stating that the content was inappropriate and not in line with responsible media practices.
Former ministers, MLAs, and senior leaders participated in the demonstration and emphasized the need for maintaining decorum and ethical standards in journalism.
However, the Telugu Desam Party and its alliance partners quickly described it as an attack on the ABN-Andhra Jyothy office and condemned it as an attack of the freedom of press.
Apart from chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh, several TDP leaders issued statements condemning the attack.
State home minister Vangalapudi Anitha alleged that the attacks were carried out purely as a diversionary tactic, and said such actions reflected a criminal mindset.
She said if anyone had grievances over content aired or published by a media organisation, the proper course was to seek legal remedy, not resort to violence.
“Even children are not accepting the “Mavigun” proposal of Jagan, which is what Radhakrishna had pointed out,” she said.
“If there is any objection, one must go through legal channels. Attacks are unacceptable,” Anitha said.
TDP MP Kesineni Sivanath also reacted sharply, describing the attacks on the ABN-Andhrajyothy offices as “cowardly acts.”
He said media baron Vemuri Radhakrishna had merely spoken “facts” and accused YSRCP leaders of trying to create disorder instead of introspecting over their own mistakes.
Another MP, Kalisetti Appala Naidu, also strongly condemned the attacks and alleged that the violence was carried out by YSRCP cadres acting at the direction of Jagan.
He described the incident as a clear case of political vendetta, and said attacks on media institutions were an attack on democratic freedoms.
