Senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday said former IPS officer V C Sajjanar should openly align himself with the Congress party instead of acting indirectly. Harish Rao made the remark while responding to recent developments involving the media and government actions.
Addressing a press interaction, Harish Rao alleged that the state government was attempting to exert pressure on the media. He said such actions reflected an effort by the Chief Minister to keep the media under political influence rather than allowing it to function independently.
Media Pressure Raises Serious Concerns
Harish Rao warned that attempts to intimidate journalists or suppress critical voices would not be tolerated in a democracy. He said the public was closely watching how the government was dealing with the press and would not remain silent if media freedom was curtailed.
He reminded the government that protecting the independence of the media is a constitutional responsibility. The current developments, he said, were a cause for concern and raised questions about the government’s commitment to democratic values.
Questions on Past Inaction in the KTR Case
Referring to allegations earlier made by Surekha against BRS working president K T Rama Rao, Harish Rao questioned the government’s silence at the time. He pointed out that the complainant was a woman and asked why no action was initiated then.
He said the government’s failure to act forced KTR to approach the court for relief. Harish Rao alleged that the selective approach exposed double standards in the use of the law.
Warning Against Selective Governance
The former minister accused the government of applying rules selectively to target political opponents while ignoring similar issues in the past. Such practices, he said, damage public confidence in institutions.
Harish Rao reiterated that if certain individuals were politically aligned with the Congress, they should state it openly instead of functioning under the guise of neutrality.
