YSRCP MP plans private member Bill against 'casteist’ media houses

Amaravati, July 17: YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Rajya Sabha MP, Vijayasai Reddy on Wednesday announced that he will introduce a private member Bill in Parliament to empower the Press Council of India to take action against casteist media houses.

Amid the ongoing tiff with a section of journalists over reports of his alleged affair with a woman officer, the YSRCP MP said he would introduce a private member Bill.

“I will introduce a private member Bill in Parliament to empower the Press Council of India & Media Institutions to take action against casteist media houses, particularly in AP, that are peddling fake news, defaming, extorting & blackmailing people with a hidden agenda,” he posted on X.

“With power comes responsibility, but the latter is missing in a section of the media,” he added.

Reacting to protests against him by a section of journalists in Visakhapatnam, the MP said that not even ten journalists came for the dharna called by a “fraudster and blackmailer who with the help of a caste has disguised as a journalist.”

“What I saw in the last three days was a clear case of Kamma media trial wherein the judge, prosecutor and witnesses were same caste media persons themselves. I am a supporter of a free and independent media but the last three days saw how some yellow media channels tried to tarnish my image. I won’t keep quiet when the battle lines are drawn,” Vijayasai Reddy said in an earlier post.

The ongoing row started on July 15 when Vijayasai Reddy held a press conference in Visakhapatnam, lashing out at a section of media for reports linking him to a woman officer and threatened to take legal action against those trying to defame him.

The Rajya Sabha member said he would not spare anyone who tarnished his image by spreading false stories.

His remarks against some journalists led to protests.

Ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also backed the journalists.

Minister for Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh took to social media to condemn the language used by the YSRCP leader against journalists at his press conference.

"I strongly condemn your abuse of media representatives. As a representative of the House of Elders, I do not need to tell you about good manners,” posted Lokesh.

“Even though you have lost your power, your arrogance has not yet diminished. During the five years of YSRCP rule, people have scolded you for your language, behaviour, corruption and anarchy, but you still have not come to your senses," said Lokesh.

Vijayasai Reddy countered Lokesh with another post. He stated that Lokesh and a large section of his caste media want press freedom like Western media but work like North Korean media.

“They dump journalistic values and only run behind TRPs obeying their political masters, protecting their caste interests, even if it is at the cost of public representatives, women folk, or members of our SC/ST/BC communities,” he wrote.

Denying that he abused journalists, the MP told Lokesh that he spoke about casteist and anarchic forces disguised as journalists who were nurtured by him.