The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticized Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over his alleged threats to YouTubers and social media users, accusing the Congress party of attacking free speech and media rights.
In a video message, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla condemned Reddy’s remarks and claimed that the Congress party’s “DNA” carries the legacy of the Emergency era. He pointed out historical examples, including Indira Gandhi’s imposition of censorship during the Emergency, Jawaharlal Nehru’s First Amendment restricting freedom of speech, and Rajiv Gandhi’s introduction of media-opposing bills.
Poonawalla also highlighted the recent arrest of a female journalist in Telangana after she raised concerns about farmers’ issues. He alleged that the Congress party, under Reddy’s leadership, attacked her for voicing the farmers’ plight. “When she became the voice of the farmers, the Congress party attacked her,” he said.
The BJP spokesperson further condemned Reddy’s threatening language towards YouTubers, stating, “The Congress Chief Minister (Revanth Reddy) is threatening, saying, ‘Who are these YouTubers? They are not journalists. They abuse, and I will strip them, humiliate them, beat them, and make them roam on the streets.’”
Poonawalla questioned the Congress party’s stance on press freedom, challenging Rahul Gandhi’s rhetoric on democracy and freedom of the press. “Is this the language of a Chief Minister from the Congress party? Rahul Gandhi talks about press freedom, love, and democracy. Is this the definition of democracy? Is this the shop of love? Is this what promotes press freedom, Rahul ji?” he asked.
Earlier, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Krishank also criticized the Telangana government for banning protests at Osmania University, a historic site for Telangana’s statehood movement, and accused the Congress government of being “intolerant” to criticism. He condemned the actions of the Congress government, stating, “The Congress government is so intolerant that they can’t even receive criticism.”
Krishank further emphasized that the Congress government’s actions—banning protests and threatening social media users—demonstrate a disregard for democratic values.
