TSPJA slams arrest of nine journalists

Nampally: Telangana State Photo Journalists' Association (TSPJA), through a press note released here on Thursday, condemned the recent arrest of nine journalists illegally for reporting the shifting of EVMs during midnight in Jagtial district headquarters.

TSPJA general secretary KN Hari questioned the rationale behind the arrest of journalists who were only covering the shifting of EVMs in late hours, when they were supposed to be kept safe in strong rooms.

He said that the shifting of EVMs at late hours in a surreptitious manner was against the principles of democracy. He said that the media has a definite role to educate the people on injustices and political conspiracies. He condemned the filing of illegal cases against the scribes under political pressure, and termed it atrocious.

Hari demanded that the state government lift the illegal cases filed against the journalists D Gopikrishna Rao (Velugu), Sridhar (Andhrajyothi photographer), Naresh (Sakshi TV), Raji Reddy (TV5), Sama Mahesh (local channel), GaddalaHarikrishna (CVR News), Hyder Ali (Mojo TV), and Ravinder (Andhra Jyothi) and AkkinapalliVenu (Andhra Prabha) under the Sections 505, 446, 186, 505/2 registered at Jagtial town police station.