Date:10/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/10/stories/2007111054530500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Journalists’ arrest condemned

Staff Reporter

They highlighted alleged irregularities in housing

Arrest likened to Musharraf’s rule in Pakistan
Immediate lifting of non-bailable cases demanded

VISAKHAPATNAM: The arrest of journalists of two prominent Telugu dailies for writing on alleged irregularities in the ‘Indiramma’ Housing Scheme in Kurnool came in for strong condemnation.

Telugu Desam Party Greater Visakhapatnam president C.M.A. Zaheer Ahmed described the arrests as an ‘infringement’ on the freedom of the press and said that the action of the Rajasekhara Reddy Government was akin to President Musharraf’s dictatorial rule in Pakistan. He alleged that the Government had booked false cases against the journalists as they had written against the housing scheme. It was the duty of journalists to bring out the irregularities to the notice of the people, he pointed out. Dr. Ahmed recalled that the Chief Minister had announced awards for anyone who brings out irregularities in the Indiramma Housing Scheme. “Is this (arrests) the reward to the journalists who brought out the irregularities”? He warned that the people would teach the Congress a lesson in the coming elections if it tried to stifle the freedom of the Press.

In a separate statement, APUWJ Greater Visakha president P. Narayan and AP Electronic Media Journalists Association president R. Babu Rao condemned the arrests of journalists. They demanded immediate lifting of the non-bailable cases against them and called upon all right thinking persons to condemn the arrests.