Varla Ramaiah seeks action on YSRCP media

Vijayawada: TDP general secretary Varla Ramaiah on Thursday lodged a complaint with Election Commission of India, New Delhi, alleging that the YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy is using his Sakshi newspaper and Sakshi television channel to defame Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

He urged the EC to initiate action against the Sakhi paper for running election special pages Jaya Ho in support of the YSRCP and for defaming the ruling TDP. Varla Ramaiah explained to the EC that Sakshi is trying to tarnish the image of the Chief Minister by publishing articles in election special page.

He said in his complaint letter, "A peculiar situation is prevailing in Andhra Pradesh where the president of YSRCP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has established a daily newspaper and a news channel.

His wife Y S Bharathi is the managing director of the Jagathi Publications Ltd., which has been running Sakshi Telugu daily," he said and pointed out that Bharathi is also chairperson of Indira Television Ltd. which has been running Sakshi TV. Both are owned by Jaganmohan Reddy's family.

He further said the aim of the Telugu daily and the news channel is to defame and carry propaganda against TDP and advertise in favour YSRCP.

Ramaiah said the Sakshi daily published in in its election special a news item with caption Votu Donga Babu Sarkare' in which wild allegations were made against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that he was responsible for deletion 4.5 lakh names from the voters list in Andhra Pradesh.

Making it clear that the government has nothing to do with the deletion of voter names, the TDP leader said the allegation was made with a view to tarnish the image of Chandrababu Naidu and to ensure political mileage to YSRCP.

He said 'Though Sakshi is a newspaper but they are printing it as YSR Congress Party pamphlet and distributing freely to the public in all public places, hence, we request you appropriate action may be initiated against the management of Sakshi Telugu daily which is also responsible for bringing election special titled 'Jaya Ho'," he added.