TV5 Journalists Arrest Sparks Furore

The TV5 stunt of the day-before-yesterday of publicizing a 4-month-old report in a little-known Russian magazine's website, alleging that Reliance's Ambanis orchestrated the death of ex-CM YSR, has sparked off a furore that refuses to go away.

After the arrest yesterday of 2 senior TV5 journalists - Executive Editor Brahmananda Reddy and Input Editor Venkata Krishna - and the booking of cases against 3 channels - TV5, Sakshi and NTV - journalists in AP are united and up in arms against the state government.

From Hyderabad and Vikarabad to Eluru, Nellore and East Godavari, journalists have been on the warpath demanding the immediate release of the arrested duo, and the withdrawal of the cases filed against them. There have been human garlands formed in busy city centres, rasta rokos, rallies and agitations outside government offices. The Tank Bund in the city also witnesses a dharna.

The APUWJ has supported the protests, and leading journalists and journalist association representatives have met the Chief Minister to make representations on behalf of the affected channels and journalists. In addition, journalist leaders S S N Reddy and Swati Prasad met the Deputy Speaker Nadella Manohar to request the release of the arrested TV5 journalists.

Meanwhile, the CID has raided the Sakshi TV offices as part of its investigation over the veracity of the reports, and seized some CDs and hard disks. And Telangana leaders continue to grumble that this is all a ploy to take the focus away from their separate state agitation.