Media unions to organise 'Chalo Assembly' on reporters' arrest

Hyderabad, Nov 8 (UNI) Representatives of Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists, Hyderabad Union of Journalists, Andhra Pradesh Electronic Media Journalists Association and Press Club, Hyderabad, have decided to organise a 'Chalo Assembly' on November 12 to protest against the arrest of 'Andhra Bhoomi' reporter 'Urukundu' and 'Andhra Jyoti' reporter Sriramulu in Kurnool district yesterday.

In a release here today, describing the arrest as a ''direct attack on freedom of press,'' the representatives of all the organisations, who met last night, condemned the arrest for exposing the ''irregularities'' in identifying beneficiaries for house allotment under Indiramma scheme.

The meeting also called for the withdrawal of ''false cases'' against the reporters and their unconditional release.

The scribes had reported that the list of beneficiaries in Laddagiri village of Kodumuru Mandal, included Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, local MLA Sikhamani and popular film actor Nagarjuna.

Earlier, the journalists across the state staged demonstrations and organised 'rasta roko' at district headquarters, important cities and towns. In Hyderabad, they took out a procession from 'Deshodharaka Bhavan in Basheerbagh to the Secretariat. The police stopped the procession at B R K Bhawan near the Secretariat.

UNI