Taking serious exception to and expressing anguish over the "intentional and malicious" campaign against him publicizing that he was defecting to the BJP, an enraged Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today warned of criminal action, any news channel, social medium or newspaper indulging in yellow journalism.
Addressing the media at TRS Legislature Party office here today, an exasperated Rao lashed out at some media channels for targeting him without any proof and making up baseless rumours that he was preparing to join the BJP along with some other TRS MLAs.
"I have clarified a number of times that my birth and death are only with the TRS," he said. "I was born as a leader of the TRS and will end with it. I rose to become a minister through making sacrifices during the statehood movement and by being a disciplined soldier of the TRS even though that meant giving up minister posts earlier. I will just always abide by the word of the Chief Minister and nothing else. Whatever KCR says will be final and it will be my path," he added.
Rao said that newspapers and news channels should not publish and air cooked up news reports, and warned them of criminal action if they failed to mend their ways.
"I have already called up DGP Mahender Reddy to initiate action against some such malicious campaigning by a news channel," Rao said.
His remarks assume importance in the wake of the changing scenario after a Third Front proposed by K Chandrashekar Rao to pave the way for KTR to become the chief minister.