Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy criticized the arrest of TV journalists by Telangana, calling it an assault on press freedom and democratic principles. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the president of the YSR Congress Party, expressed his disapproval of the detention of NTV journalists for allegedly broadcasting defamatory content about a Telangana minister and a woman IAS officer. He emphasized that journalists, despite not being criminals or terrorists, were being subjected to unjust severity, causing distress to their families and instilling fear within the media community. Jagan Mohan Reddy demanded the immediate release of the detained journalists and urged the government to uphold the rule of law and safeguard press freedom.
The National Union of Journalists-India also condemned the arrest of senior journalists by Telangana police, denouncing it as an illegal act that undermines democracy and constitutional freedoms. In a letter to the Telangana DGP, NUJ-I officials criticized the arrest of senior journalists Dontu Ramesh, Paripoorna Chary, and Sudheer in connection with a news report aired on NTV regarding a state cabinet minister. The NUJ-I highlighted the lack of due process in the arrests, stating that the actions of the State Government violated principles of natural justice and constitutional safeguards. The organization emphasized that journalists play a crucial role in informing the public and that arresting them for their work sends a dangerous message of intolerance towards scrutiny and criticism.
While clarifying that they do not support journalism that breaks the law or engages in personal attacks, NUJ-I asserted that no democratic government should misuse its police force to intimidate journalists. The organization stressed that if there were concerns about the news report’s content, legal avenues should have been pursued instead of resorting to arrests. NUJ-I criticized the Telangana Police’s actions as an extreme step that undermines democracy and constitutional values, calling on the State Government to protect press freedom as enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
