The Hyderabad Police Cyber Crime division has detained two journalists from Pulse News—Managing Director Pogadadanda Revathi and reporter Thanvi Yadav—along with a third individual associated with the X account ‘NippuKodi.’ The arrests took place on Wednesday, following allegations of posting and amplifying abusive content against Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
Arrests Trigger Political Backlash
The arrests were made based on a complaint filed by the chief of the Congress’ state social media unit. The detained individuals face serious charges, including publishing obscene material, organized crime, criminal conspiracy, and spreading rumors to incite hatred and provoke a breach of peace.
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The controversy revolves around a video posted on the ‘NippuKodi’ X account, in which a Pulse News reporter interviews an individual who allegedly made “derogatory” and “abusive” remarks against the Chief Minister. According to the complaint, this constituted a “highly provocative” post that could incite violence and was a “deliberate attempt by Pulse TV to defame and spread propaganda.”
BRS Slams Congress for ‘Intolerance’
The arrests have sparked sharp criticism from the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which governed Telangana until Congress’ surprising 2023 electoral victory. BRS leader KT Rama Rao, accused the Congress government of “intolerance of criticism” and fostering an “extreme level of intolerance”, the NDTV reported.
“It feels like a state of Emergency has returned in Telangana…” he stated, condemning the arrests.
In a lengthy X post, Rao alleged that Revathi’s arrest was illegal, claiming that police raided her residence at 5 AM in what he described as an “Emergency-style rule.” He also slammed Yadav’s arrest as “atrocious,” citing it as an example of press freedom being curtailed in Telangana.
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“The arrest of journalists who posted a video of a farmer talking about the hardships he faces under the Congress government is the culmination of this government’s restrictive rule. Is this the constitutional rule that Rahul Gandhi is talking about?” Rao questioned in his post.
BJP Joins the Chorus of Condemnation
Meanwhile, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla criticized the Congress government for arresting a senior journalist simply for “showing the frustration and plight of Telangana’s farmers.”
Interestingly, Revathi had been arrested in a similar manner during the tenure of the previous BRS government, adding another layer of political controversy to the incident.
As tensions rise, the arrests have reignited the debate on press freedom and political intolerance in Telangana, with opposition parties seizing the moment to question the Congress-led administration’s commitment to democratic values.
