Gagging the media: Was KCR rant meant for Medak by-poll votes?

Is there more to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao’s public rant against the media than what meets the eye? It has been 83 days since two TV channels - TV9 and ABN-Andhra Jyothi – were blacked out of the cable network by the multi-system operators (MSOs) in the state. Why did KCR choose to go confrontational with the ‘bury them 10 km deep in the earth’ utterance now?

For someone known for his dexterity at playing to the gallery and pandering to the media, this obviously was no slip of the tongue situation. Political analysts here believe it has to do with the upcoming by-election to the Medak Lok Sabha constituency slated for September 13. The seat was won by KCR himself with a massive margin and it has become a matter of prestige for him to retain the seat for his party with a similar emphatic victory.

He has been panned by the national media for his aggressive posturing. Journalists’ associations and political parties have accused him of waging a proxy war against Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP through his actions against the channels. The secretary general of Indian Journalists Union Devulapalli Amar described his action as ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘undemocratic’. So far, the TRS leadership had been trying to keep itself out of any controversy by claiming that it was the MSOs who chose to block the channels. But his utterances yesterday have nailed the shallowness of that claim.

The chief minister linked the action against the media to Telangana’s pride and culture, and in the process made it clear that the government was involved in the process. If KCR cares two hoots about the tongue-lashing he has been getting elsewhere, it has to do with the Medak election.

Meanwhile, ABN’s managing director Vemuri Radhakrishna has asserted that his channel or newspaper never aired or published anything derogatory and denigrating the dignity of the Telangana leaders. “We are the only media organisation which openly supported the Telangana cause,” he pointed out.

Amar said: “The journalists organisations have nothing to do with the content of the TV channels. But media freedom in a democracy cannot be threatened at any cost. Who are the MSOs to decide the content of a TV channel?”

Going into the background of the matter, the TRS has always alleged that the TV9 and the ABN-Anhdra Jyoythi had political leanings in favour of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which is the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh. It is common knowledge that KCR has been nursing a personal grievance against the two TV channels. While other media houses played it safe, TV9 indeed went overboard in telecasting a programme portraying Telangana MLAs in poor light.

The matter came up in the Telangana assembly and Legislative Council and resolutions were adopted condemning the programme and the decision on action to be taken on the channel was left to the presiding officers of the respective Houses. Taking cue from the Assembly resolution condemning a programme telecast by TV9, multi-system operators (MSOs) snapped the telecast of the channel.

A particular programme aired by TV9 was, indeed, in bad taste. Realising the mistake, the management pulled it out and tendered an unconditional apology through the channel and also by all other available means, including social media. Executive Editor of TV9 Dinesh Akula told Firstpost that after written apology was offered, what’s the logic behind the continuance of the blockage.

Meanwhile, the channel approached the TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal), which directed the MSOs to air the channel and also directed the Telangana government to ensure the safety and security of the TV channel’s staff, offices and equipment in Telanagana.

Akula reasoned that if the TRS government’s contention was true that it was the MSOs who blocked the channels and the government had nothing to do with it, then the government should be implementing the TDSAT order. It was for the government to enforce the order of the tribunal, he pointed out.

But there is a vocal section which is asking those crying hoarse about the blockage to answer a straight question: “Why aren’t you voicing your concern against curbs on media freedom when the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Naidu, does not allow journalists of Namaste Telangana newspaper and T-News channel, owned by KCR’s family, and Sakshmi media, owned by YS Jaganmohan Reddy into his programmes?”