Congress workers in various parts of Andhra Pradesh today protested against the telecast of a “blasphemous” news feature against Sonia Gandhi by a television channel owned by party MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.
State Health Minister Danam Nagender and Information Technology Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who were ardent followers of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, led a sit-in in front of the former Chief Minister’s statue at Panjagutta Centre here while scores of Congress workers held a protest outside the Sakshi channel’s head office in Banjara Hills here.
MLCs P Sudhakar Reddy and Ganga Bhavani also took part in the agitation.
Heavy police force was deployed outside Sakshi office and the protesting Congress workers were taken into custody for defying prohibitory orders.
Youth Congress workers also staged protests outside Sakshi offices at Karimnagar, Chirala, Nellore and other places demanding an apology from Sakshi management over the telecast of the story against Ms. Gandhi and Congress party. They also burnt copies of Sakshi Telugu newspaper owned by Mr. Jagan.
Congress MPs from Telangana, who met at the residence of G Vivekananda, demanded that Mr. Jagan, the MP from Kadapa, immediately tender an apology to Ms. Sonia Gandhi as well as the party for telecasting such “blasphemous” story.
Senior Congress MLA P Shankar Rao also demanded an apology from Jagan on the issue.
Meanwhile, party sources said a translated transcript of the story that was telecast on Sakshi TV on Friday, and repeated on Saturday, was sent to the Congress high command for perusal and necessary action even as the high command sought a report from the PCC on the episode.
