SPEAKER after speaker called for unity among the journalists fraternity to fight the onslaught of the Chandrasekhar Rao government which was threatening the freedom of press.

The speakers lambasted the TRS government for adopting a dictatorial attitude towards the journalists at a round table meeting on "Government's attitude towards media and journalists" at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram in Hyderabad on August 11. 

The meeting was attended by senior journalists representing different working journalists unions, trade union leaders, women activists and NGOs. The meeting took strong objection to the remarks  made by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at a news conference recently against the  Nava Telangana newspaper in particular and  media in general and condemned the attacks on journalists including the recent one at CM’s residence, Pragati Bhavan, wherein  one TV reporter was roughed up by the police. 

The meeting warned that the journalists would take up the issue seriously if the chief minister who himself holds the information and public relations portfolio did not change his stance towards journalists.  The meeting advised the chief minister to take up media criticism against his government in his stride as it was part of the prerogative of the media. 

Taking strong objection to the style of the chief minister, speakers said that he was autocratic in his rule so much so he does not come to secretariat, does not grant interviews to different sections of people and works according to his whims and fancies. Even a king will not behave like this, trade union leader Raja Rao said while a woman activist said that the chief minister was silencing people by doling funds during religious festivals and showering gifts like sarees. 

The meeting resolved that the chief minister should tender an apology to Nava Telangana newspaper for his objectionable remarks and suspend the police officer for ill-treating a woman journalist. The meeting was attended by senior journalists including K Srivnias Reddy, D Amar, Vinay Kumar, T Ravi, S Veeraiah, editor of Nava Telangana, Somaiah and Basvapunnaiah.

Prof Sunkari Ram Murthy, senior  journalist who presided over the meeting said that a memorandum would be submitted to the governor in this regard shortly.