*Is Journalism now an organised Crime?*

Guntur, May 1: YSRCP General Secretary (Media) Pudi Srihari questioned whether journalism itself is being treated as an “organized crime” under the present regime, asserting that he has done no wrong and therefore has no fear. Addressing the media at the YSRCP office in Guntur along with party legal leaders, Srihari expressed deep anguish over the series of arrests and cases against him over the past two weeks, despite a spotless 26-year career in journalism. He stated that portraying media coordination work as a criminal syndicate is alarming and dangerous for democratic functioning. Party General Secretary (Legal) Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy termed the episode a battle between constitutional values and misuse of power, questioning how a person can be arrested multiple times for the same alleged offence. He pointed out that courts have repeatedly rejected remand attempts and intervened against unconstitutional actions. Legal Cell President M. Manohar Reddy alleged that the government, unable to implement its promises, is resorting to diversion politics by targeting opposition voices and misusing harsh legal provisions meant for serious crimes. Legal Cell representative Sudarshan Reddy condemned the arrest as a deliberate attempt to silence dissent, highlighting procedural violations and repeated re-arrests even after bail. MLC Lella Appi Reddy emphasized that Srihari’s case is effectively a case against journalism itself, questioning what wrongdoing a senior journalist with an unblemished record had committed. Collectively, YSRCP leaders asserted that the repeated arrests, identical cases across jurisdictions, and disregard for legal safeguards expose a pattern of political vendetta and suppression of free expression.