TDP Goons On A Rampage: Sakshi Offices Vandalized With Sticks, Stones & Eggs
9 Jun, 2025 17:54 IST|Sakshi Post
In an evident attack on press freedom, TDP members launched coordinated strikes on Sakshi media offices in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur, Tirupati, Kadapa, and Srikakulam under the guise of protest against comments made by a guest on Sakshi's debate.
Armed with sticks, mobs of TDP members vandalized Sakshi offices across multiple cities. In some locations, they attempted to dismantle signage, while in others, they pelted eggs and stones at the buildings. In Renigunta, the attack caused considerable damage, and in Anantapur, the agitators staged a sit-in outside the Sakshi office.
The violence erupted following the controversial arrest of senior journalist and Sakshi anchor Kommineni Srinivas Rao earlier in the day. Kommineni was taken into custody from his residence in Hyderabad without an arrest warrant, by police in plain clothes.
The case, filed in Thullur (Amaravati), stems from remarks made not by Kommineni, but by guest VVR Krishnam Raju during a live debate on the KSR Live Show. Despite publicly distancing himself from the remarks and issuing an apology, Kommineni has been booked under multiple sections, including the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act—a move widely condemned by journalists and media associations.
Former Chief Minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy too condemned the arrest and criticized the TDP government for its “toxic culture of revenge.”
“Arresting a 70-year-old senior journalist for comments he didn’t even make reflects the height of personal vendetta and the toxic culture of revenge that Chandrababu Naidu has promoted,” Jagan said.
The TDP government’s Red Book policy has drawn increasing criticism for creating an atmosphere of fear in Andhra Pradesh, with journalists and opposition leaders routinely targeted through false cases and political intimidation.
The TDP government is facing criticism for resorting to diversionary politics in an effort to shift public attention away from mounting crises in the State. Political leaders have condemned the government for targeting Sakshi media, which has been at the forefront of reporting on two major incidents: the gang rape involving TDP members in Sri Sathya Sai district and the suspicious murder of an intermediate second-year student in Anantapur.
