TDP stages walkout on Govt 'curbs' on press freedom

Hyderabad, July 19 (UNI) Members of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today staged a walkout in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly in protest against the Congress Government alleged move to curb press freedom and Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy 'misleading' the House on the controversial GO 938.

Dissatisfied with Higher Education Minister D Srinivas' reply that the government had no intention to curtail the freedom of the press, TDP Legislature Party Deputy Leader T Devender Goud claimed the Chief Minister had misled the House by allegedly feigning ignorance about the controversial GO during the previous Assembly session.

Accusing the government of curbing press freedom, Mr Goud led the TDP members out of the House.

The file notings, obtained by the TDP using the provisions of Right to Information Act, showed both the chief minister and the chief secretary had, in fact, signed the controversial GO.

But the Chief Minister claimed he had no knowledge about the GO while announcing its withdrawal after overwhelming protests by the Opposition parties, TDP legislator K Achannaidu alleged earlier.

The Higher Education Minister on behalf of the Chier Minister maintained there was nothing wrong on the part of the government in coming out with the said GO since legal provisions under IPC and Cr PC existed to file cases against media organisations which put out defamatory articles.

The GO, which had been withdrawn subsequently, had empowered the Information and Public Relations Officers to go through various reports thoroughly and act against defamatory news items since heads of various departments would not have much time to go in detail into various reports.

The government as also the Congress party had the highest regard for the freedom of the press, the minister said, adding the government had no intention to oversee the functioning of the press and electronic media.

UNI