Date:26/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/26/stories/2008062651580300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Rajakumari condemns arrests

Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM: Senior Telugu Desam leader Nannapuneni Rajakumari has condemned the arrest of Andhra Jyothi editor Srinivas and two reporters of the paper under the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Addressing a media conference on Wednesday, she said that the arrests had brought back memories of the black days of Emergency. It was fear of being exposed by the media that has helped in checking corruption at least to some extent. Government officials and staff, politicians and even leaders of associations act with caution when the media was around.

Similarly, the media has also been playing a great role in getting help from philanthropists for causes like education of bright but poor students and medical aid for poor heart patients. The media was a bridge between the Government and the people.

Ms. Rajakumari felt that if the MRPS leaders had any grievance against the report published by Andhra Jyothi they could have condemned the same or proved their innocence.

On the contrary, they ransacked the newspaper office and tried to cause physical harm to the staff but no action was taken on them.

She said that the Government and the police who were over zealous in arresting the editor and reporters had failed to take any action against Congress leaders Nagendra, Prabhakar and Mahila Congress leader Ganga Bhavani had beaten effigies of TDP president Chandrababu Naidu and herself (Rajakumari) with slippers in full view of the media.