The Hindu : Front Page : Scribes boycott Ministers’ press meets

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Thursday, Jun 26, 2008
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Scribes boycott Ministers’ press meets

Special Correspondent

Ask Police Commissioner to leave the hall; Jana Reddy grilled

HYDERABAD: Media persons boycotted press conferences by Ministers K. Jana Reddy (Home), A. Ramnarayan Reddy (Information) and Mohammed Ali Shabbir (Minorities Welfare) to protest against the arrest of Andhra Jyothi Editor and two other journalists at Secretariat here on Wednesday.

Mr. Jana Reddy and Mr. Ramnarayan Reddy along with City Police Commissioner, D. Prasada Rao, wanted to brief the media about the arrests, while Mr. Shabbir sought to speak on steps taken by the government for welfare of workers in Gulf region.

Sporting black badges, journalists stood up saying since the police treated them as criminals they could not sit before Ministers, Mr. Jana Reddy and Mr. Ramnarayan Reddy. They questioned the propriety of the police swooping down on Andhra Jyothi office at night and demanded that Mr. Prasada Rao leave the hall.

The journalists placed the Home Minister in a tight spot, asking him why the police did not arrest Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy against whom cases were filed in Hyderabad and 10 districts in connection with election code violations.

They said the effigy of Marketing Minister M. Mareppa was beaten with chappals by fans of film actor Chiranjeevi and at every agitation even the effigies of the Chief Minister received similar treatment. “But no arrest was made in these cases. MRPS leader Manda Krishna Madiga openly threatened to attack Andhra Jyothi office but he too was left scot-free.”

They trooped out shouting slogans. The Home Minister retorted by saying “people of the State are observing you”.

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