YSRCP MP case: Telugu channels NTV, ABN booked

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh CID on Friday booked Telugu news channels NTV and ABN Andhra Jyoti in the case pertaining to disgruntled YSRCP MP from Narsapuram, Raghurama Krishnam Raju for his speeches against the government.

The CID filed cases under Sections 124A, 153A, and 505 of the IPC against Raghurama Krishnam Raju, for allegedly making comments damaging the image of the state government.

The CID alleged that the news channels–NTV, ABN Andhra Jyoti and others have intentionally used Raghurama Krishnam Raju to defame the state government on a regular basis.

In its first information report filed under Section 154 of Criminal Procedure Code (Cr. P.C) said that TV5 and ABN allotted pre-meditated and organised slots for Raju’s speeches which “clearly showed that there was a meeting of minds of Sri Raju with the heads of these media channels and all of them together conspired against the government.”

Further, the FIR alleges that it looked like a well orchestrated conspiracy to create disattection and to bring contempt and hatred against the Government by Raju and the media groups to create disharmony in public.

However, the CID authorities have not made any attempt to arrest the heads of the media channels so far.

The two news channels have earlier faced the wrath of Andhra Pradesh government in 2019 itself. As per the state government’s instructions, they have been taken off many cable TV networks across the state for allegedly reporting anti-government stories. Political observers then opined that the ban was due to the political leanings of these Telugu channels.

The ban was later quietly lifted.