CBI Move To Gag Press: YSRC

Describing the CBI's notices to freeze the bank accounts of the Sakshi Media house as a move to gag the freedom of press, as also part of a larger "conspiracy" to close down the newspaper and the television by vested interests and competitors, the YSR Congress Party said the move has made it more resolute to uphold the values of meaningful journalism and healthy democratic norms.

"Attacking the economic flow of the Sakshi Media group by freezing the current accounts would hamper the day-to-day functioning of the company, which is tantamount to the slaughter of democracy and the freedom of press, as the media group provides employment to over 25,000 families," she said.

She said that the newspaper has a circulation of over 14 lakhs, and a readership of 1.5 crore, and that the television channel has equally large viewership.

She said there were no anti-social or anti-national activities going on in the media house, and that the need for the CBI's step was beyond comprehension.

Spitting fire on the political parties and a section of the media that was celebrating the event, she said, "The growth of the media house and the swelling popularity ratings of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy have become an eye-sore to his detractors, who are trying every available trick to show our leader in poor light, but the exercise will be futile and we will overcome all the hurdles and emerge trumps."

Ridiculing Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's comment that he has no role in the episode, she said that the ruling party has realised that it stands no chance in the 12 June by-elections.

It was Chandrababu Naidu who unleashed negative propaganda against the Sakshi group, and it is no wonder that he is pleased with the CBI's action, she said.

She also pointed out that when a media baron was involved in a land dispute recently, no bank account was attached.

YSR Congress spokesperson Gattu Ramachandra Rao told reporters on Wednesday, "YSR Congress thanks all organisations and individuals for extending support in the case and expressing their strong objection to the CBI move, though the ruling Congress and opposition TDP have been showing slant in their comments."

"The CBI has become a tool in the hands of the Centre, and is being used to settle political scores, while the opposition TDP, instead of questioning the ruling Congress, is indifferent even at the hour of reckoning," he said.

"The way in which the trial is progressing, and the turn of events, all point towards a deep-rooted conspiracy to defame Y S Jaganmohan Reddy before the by-polls," he said.

"While the main case pertains to the legitimacy of 26 GOs issued by the state government, the route the CBI has taken for investigation is aimed at targeting Jagan, who was never in the Cabinet, nor was part of the governance at any point of time," he said.

Referring to Naidu, he said, "After YSR's death, had Jagan taken the MLAs who wanted him to become Chief Minister to a hotel as you (Naidu) had hijacked the legislators and held them captive in a hotel, things would have been different."

"The investigation into the 26 GOs is not going in the right direction, and investigation into the accident in which YSR died was also not done in right earnest," he claimed, "Had the investigation been done in a fair manner, many people who are now in high positions would have been in jail." (INN)