"Jagan Reddy is rabble-rousing.." says TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Eenadu office attack

Taking to X, N Chandrababu Naidu said that this attack follows the recent barbaric act where a photographer and journalist of Andhra Jyothy and TV5 were brutally attacked causing serious injuries.

"With a massive defeat looking imminent, @ysjaganis rabble-rousing his followers and instigating them to attack the Press and party workers from the Opposition. These acts of violence, or rather, government-sponsored terrorism is a last-ditch effort to create fear amongst people as the state goes for election in 50 days. Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a complete law and order breakdown that has never happened before.," wrote the former CM.

Earlier, the vandals targeted the Eenadu office, breaking doors and wreaking havoc on computers and glass panels. Mirrors and furniture were not spared in the rampage.

The chaos persisted for an hour before the police intervened to restore order. The Somishetti Complex, housing various shops, witnessed panic among shop owners as the situation unfolded.

This attack follows the publication of an article exposing alleged land grabbing by Panyam MLA Katasani Rambhupal Reddy.

Alleged YSRCP activists expressed their anger, claiming false articles are being written to tarnish the reputation of their leader.

In response, journalists are calling for action against leaders who suppress the freedom of the media in a democratic society. They argue that such incidents jeopardize the principles of democracy and hinder the free flow of information. The call for accountability resonates amid concerns about the safety and freedom of the press in the region.

Meanwhile, TDP National General Secretary, Nara Lokesh, strongly condemned the alleged attack by YSRCP activists on ABN Andhrajyothy photographer Srikrishna at CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's Saddam public meeting in Anantapur on Tuesday.

He questioned whether it is forbidden to take photos at the Siddam meeting, calling the incident a factional attack by Jagan Reddy on the media. He stated, "As the owner of a newspaper and channel, Jagan Reddy's encouragement of such attacks puts all those working in his organization at risk."

Adding to the X he wrote, "Jagan Kalakeya's army is targeting the media. Andhra Jyoti tried to kill the photographer in the Anantapur assembly. Now at the same time, Panyam MLA Katasani Rambhupal Reddy unleashed Vaikapa rowdies on the Kurnool office today. Widespread attacks on the office of a leading daily newspaper like Eenadu, which provides impartial information, is the height of the brutal regime in the state. I strongly condemn the attacks of the psycho Jagan faction on the media which is the pillar of democracy." (ANI)