A court in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district on Tuesday sent senior journalist and ‘Sakshi TV’ anchor Kommineni Srinivasa Rao to judicial custody for 14 days in a case registered against him for alleged derogatory remarks against women of the state capital, Amaravati, during a show on the channel.
The journalist was produced before a court in Mangalagiri, which sent him to judicial custody. He was subsequently shifted to the Guntur district jail.
A police team from Thullur Police Station had arrested Rao from his residence in Hyderabad on Monday and brought him to Vijayawada.
The journalist had moderated a debate with V.V.R. Krishnam Raju, a journalist and political analyst, recently on Sakshi Telugu television news channel, owned by YSR Congress Party President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. A huge controversy erupted over certain comments allegedly made by the analyst during the show.
The police booked Srinivasa Rao, Krishnam Raju and the management of ‘Sakshi TV’ for the alleged derogatory remarks against Amaravati farmers and women on a complaint by State Madiga Corporation director Khambampati Sirisha.
A case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and other sections was registered against them.
According to police, the hunt is on for the arrest of Krishnam Raju, who is absconding from his residence in Vijayawada.
Women farmers and representatives of various Amaravati Joint Action Committees (JACs) also lodged police complaints.
The complainants condemned the statement describing Amaravati as a “capital of prostitutes” and termed it an “outrageous insult” to the women.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan condemned disgraceful remarks against women and warned that those involved will not be spared.
Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission Chairperson Rayapati Sailaja demanded an unconditional apology to the entire state from the TV management. She alleged that the Commission has taken the issue very seriously, as Sakshi TV and its management targeted women and insulted them.
The YSR Congress Party, however, condemned what it called the baseless allegations and malicious campaign orchestrated by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), its social media operatives, and affiliated ‘yellow media’ against YSRCP and its leadership.
YSRCP leader Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy stated that the anchor, while moderating a debate on a TV channel, had cautioned the analyst about passing the remarks, which were based on a media report. The presenter did not extend the discussion on the point, nor was it highlighted further.
Sajjala, a former advisor to the state government, accused Chief Minister Naidu of a sinister design to blow it up into a major issue.
He alleged that despite Srinivasa Rao’s clarification and analyst Krishnam Raju’s explanation, the issue was widely circulated.
