Protests in different forms were organised by working journalists across the State on Thursday against foisting of a police case against The Hindu Resident Editor S. Nagesh Kumar and the vindictive attitude of Director General of Police V. Dinesh Reddy.
Journalists affiliated to AP Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and AP Working Journalists’ Federation (APWJF) participated in the protests.
At Ongole, leaders cutting across party lines and civil society organisations joined hands with the APUWJ in condemning the case against The Hindu RE. Congress MP M. Srinivasulu Reddy and TDP farmers’ wing president Karnam Balaram were among those who criticised the DGP’s attitude.
Journalists also staged a dharna in front of Collectorate. They raised slogans against the police administration and termed the case as an attempt to oppress freedom of press and to terrorise journalists. They demanded that the Police Officers’ Association withdraw the case.
Participating in a protest at Kurnool, journalists described the case against The Hindu RE as police high-handedness and sought the unconditional dropping of the criminal charges. Journalists working for print and electronic media took out a procession at Guntur decrying the case against Mr. Nagesh Kumar.
In a novel protest also at Guntur, members of APWJF covered their mouth with black ribbons in disapproval of the intimidatory tactics of the police. At Vijayawada, a roundtable meeting was organised by Civic Response Forum to criticise the police for registering a case against The Hindu . Former Editor of Visalandhra C. Raghavachari expressed dismay at the political parties’ silence on the police attempt to gag the press.
At Khammam, journalists stage a demonstration by kneeling down at Zilla Parishad Centre to protest the case. They also displayed placards and raised slogans denouncing the police action.
17 districts
Meanwhile, State president of APWJF B. Basava Punnaiah said protests were held in 17 districts. A delegation of the union called on Minister for Handlooms G. Prasad Kumar requesting him to impress upon the Chief Minister to act against the DGP for his “misadventure”.
Co-chairman of Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) Mallepalli Laxmaiah condemned the police case against The Hindu RE and termed it as an attack on the freedom of press. He demanded that the government withdraw the case foisted against The Hindu .
