Reddy denies report on starting newspaper

Hyderabad, May 14 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today denied any involvement in starting a newspaper with an investment of Rs 600 crore as alleged by Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu.

''Everybody knows he (Mr Naidu) is behind a particular Telugu daily with a good circulation'', Dr Reddy told the Pradesh Congress Plenum organised to mark the party's completion of three years in office.

It was not proper to link him with the proposal of an industrialist to start a new newspaper, he added.

Turning his ire at a particular Telugu daily, he said the proprietor of the daily had even filed an affidavit in the High court that the ''Congress party is his enemy''.

It was unfortunate that Opposition parties were twisting the probe into the ''illegal'' mobilisation of over Rs 3,000 crore by the financial firm, owned by the media baron, as an attack on press freedom.

Earlier, he pointed out a section of the media was against the ruling party and wanted party activists, trying to disrupt the speech of Former Congress Legislature Party Leader P Janardhan Reddy, not to bring bad name to the Congress.

A section of the media was all out to blow even small things big, he claimed.

UNI