The Telangana Assembly on Saturday passed a unanimous resolution urging Speaker S. Madhusudhana Chary to take stringent action against TV9 news channel for running a programme using abusive and derogatory language against the members of the Assembly.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao moved the resolution condemning the channel for running the programme and insulting the Telangana Legislature as well as the legislators. He urged the Speaker to take action against the channel.
Mr. Rao raised the issue in the two Houses on Friday decrying such objectionable programmes, which he said had crossed the limits of decency. He read out the script of the programme, terming it “very offensive”.
Earlier, members of both Houses met in the Committee Hall of the Assembly where a CD of the controversial programme was played.
Mr. Madhusudhana Chary and Council Chairman Nethi Vidyasagar, along with other members, witnessed the programme. Sources said legislators cutting across party lines demanded the strongest possible action against the channel for belittling the members and showing the Legislature in a bad light. The Speaker and the Chairman were urged to take action.
It is understood that an overwhelming majority of the legislators demanded stringent punishment to those responsible for airing objectionable content. They said such action would act as a deterrent to other media houses that were trying to ‘run down’ Telangana and its government and culture.
At one stage, some members demanded that the channel staff be sent to jail.
