Hyderabad: BRS Leader Srinivas Yadav Arrested Over Attack on MAHAA TV Office
A suo motu case has also been registered against other BRS leaders, including Opposition Leader S Madhusudhana Chary and former MLA Balka Suman.
In a significant political development, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Gellu Srinivas Yadav and nearly 20 other BRS and BRSV activists were arrested on Saturday, June 28, by the Jubilee Hills police for their alleged involvement in the attack on the MAHAA TV office. The incident followed the channel’s broadcast of allegedly derogatory reports related to BRS leaders, particularly K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and KT Rama Rao (KTR), in connection with the phone tapping case.
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A suo motu case has also been registered against other BRS leaders, including Opposition Leader S Madhusudhana Chary and former MLA Balka Suman.
Attack Followed Reports on Phone Tapping Case
According to police, the protest turned violent when BRS workers, shouting slogans of “Jai Telangana”, attempted to storm the MAHAA TV office, pelted stones, damaged property and vehicles, and reportedly assaulted an employee trying to stop them.
The agitation stemmed from YouTube thumbnails and broadcasts that the BRS claims were part of a smear campaign targeting the party’s leadership under the guise of journalism.
Also Read: KTR Slams ‘Congress-Backed’ Media, Vows Legal War Over Phone Tapping Allegations
Police Conduct Raids Amid Tight Security
On Sunday, police searched Gellu Srinivas Yadav’s residence in the new MLA quarters, amid tight security arrangements. However, the BRS legal team and advocates raised objections, citing violations under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The party legal cell also issued a letter to the Jubilee Hills SHO, calling the arrest “illegal and arbitrary” and accused the police of failing to update the arrest on the official police portal, thus violating Supreme Court guidelines and constitutional rights under Articles 20 and 21.
BRS Sends Legal Notice to MAHAA TV
In a parallel move, the BRS legal cell sent a defamation notice to MAHAA TV’s management, accusing it of running a malicious campaign against the party on its YouTube channel through misleading thumbnails and reports related to the phone tapping issue.
In a press statement, the BRS alleged that the channel was “spitting venom” against the leadership and had crossed all limits of journalistic ethics.
BRS Questions Congress’ Role in Phone Tapping
BRS spokesperson RS Praveen Rao lashed out at the Congress government, alleging that it was, in fact, the current ruling party that started phone tapping. He challenged the government to hold a press conference at the Hyderabad Police Commissionerate to transparently disclose facts related to the case.
“Will the truth be revealed by police or by Youth Congress leaders in Gandhi Bhavan?” Rao questioned.
Background: MAHAA TV and the Phone Tapping Probe
MAHAA TV, founded by senior journalist I Venkat Rao, a former editor of Andhra Jyothi, has come under fire from BRS for its coverage of the alleged phone tapping scandal.
Several senior police officers, including a former intelligence chief, are under investigation for allegedly tapping over 600 phone numbers of politicians, journalists, judges, and businesspersons during the BRS regime, especially ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
The developments mark a new phase of political friction in Telangana, with the BRS calling the arrests unconstitutional and vowing to pursue legal battles, while the police continue their probe into the MAHAA TV office attack and the broader phone tapping scandal.
