Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao strongly condemned the midnight arrest of three journalists of a private news station at the airport, terming it a “serious attack on press freedom and democratic values”.
He said the incident exposed the true nature of the Congress government and reflected what he described as its “emergency mindset”. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is following a pattern of “Emergency crackdowns and comparing the arrests to actions taken during the Indira Gandhi government, he said in a press statement on Wednesday.
Accusing the Congress government of trying to “silence dissent through intimidation, censorship and threats”, Mr Rao added that while the BRS government banned news channels, the Congress went a step further by arresting journalists. He said targeting the press was a “serious breach: in democracy” and reiterated that the BJP stood firmly behind media professionals and would oppose any attempt to misuse the state machinery to curtail press freedom.
In a separate statement, Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy demanded the immediate release of the arrested journalists and an impartial investigation by a special investigation team. It was not right to make arrests even before the investigation was completed, suggesting it was a vindictive act, he said and advised the Congress government to stop attacking the media.
Chief spokesperson NV Subash also criticized the arrests, saying the midnight arrests were a “direct attack” on freedom of speech and showed the government’s “intolerance” of criticism and its misuse of the state machinery to intimidate the media.
Only those who cannot face criticism resort to such coercive measures against journalists doing their democratic duty, he claimed in a press statement, accusing Mr Revanth Reddy of behaving like a “monarch”, warning that political arrogance has proved costly for leaders in the past. Mr. Subash said the government’s frustration stems from empty coffers and broken promises, and venting anger on the media is a move that will only hasten its downfall.
Published – 14 Jan 2026 18:39 IST
