Amaravati, June 9 (IANS) Former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed grave concern over what he called the alarming breakdown of democracy and rule of law in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state has now become a symbol of anarchy under the Chandrababu-led regime.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president alleged that democratic voices, intellectuals, and journalists were being silenced through fear, intimidation, and blatant misuse of power.

Through a post on X, he strongly condemned the arrest of 70-year-old senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, calling it an act of political vendetta. He questioned the rationale of arresting a moderator for remarks he never made, simply for hosting a debate.

“In any discussion, diverse opinions are natural. Punishing an anchor for guests’ statements is not only unjust, it’s dangerous,” he said.

He accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of attempting to divert public attention from his one-year failures, corruption, and betrayal of electoral promises by targeting media houses like ‘Sakshi’ and stifling critical voices.

This, he said, was not the first time Kommineni had faced vindictive actions — his previous job was taken away and his programs were censored between 2014 and 2019 for not supporting the TDP’s narrative. Jagan reminded Chandrababu that power is temporary.

“You were given five years — one has already passed. The day will come when the people will demand answers for your abuses and injustices,” he warned. “What you sow today, you will reap tomorrow — twice over,” he added.

Srinivasa Rao, an anchor of ‘Sakshi TV’ was arrested on Monday for alleged derogatory remarks about women of state capital Amaravati during a show on the channel owned by Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The Andhra Pradesh police arrested the senior journalist from his residence in Hyderabad and shifted him to Guntur district where police registered a case against him, analyst V.V. Krishnam Raju and management of ‘Sakshi TV’.

The police registered a case on a complaint by some leaders of TDP who alleged that the participants in the show called Amaravati ‘capital of prostitutes’.

CM Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan have condemned the remarks and stated that those involved will not be spared.

–IANS

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