Hyderabad: City police took more than 100 journalists and civil rights activists into preventive custody following a protest at Basheerbagh. The agitators protested the ban of two Telugu TV channels, TV9 and ABN Andhra Jyothi, in the state. Journalists working with both channels along with members of different journalist organisations, NGOs, and lawyers, took out a rally from the Basheerbagh Press Club towards Secretariat.
The broadcast of ABN Andhra Jyothi TV and TV9 channels has been blocked by the Association of Telangana Multiple System Operators since June 16, following allegations that the channels had been airing programmes insulting the Telangana dialect and sentiments of the Telangana people.
The agitators condemned the action and raised slogans. They alleged that the operators succumbed to pressure from the Telangana government, and stopped telecasting the channels. Police stopped the agitators on the road towards Secretariat, and took them into custody before taking them to different police stations.
Central Zone deputy commissioner of police V. B. Kamalasan Reddy said all of them were let off later. Earlier, the Telangana Assembly had passed a resolution to initiate action against the channels for airing objectionable programmes defaming the T MLAs.
