Amid widespread outrage over the attack on the Mahanews TV office, senior BRS leader and former minister Jagadish Reddy has stirred even deeper controversy by bringing the Andhra-Telangana regional divide into the spotlight once again.
While openly admitting that BRS workers were behind the attack, Jagadish Reddy went beyond justifying the incident. In his aggressive speech, he accused certain media houses of running what he called “slaughterhouses” in Telangana under the guise of journalism. He claimed these outlets were driven by anger over KCR separating Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, suggesting that their editorial lines were rooted in a long-standing grudge.
By saying, “Where do you live? Whose food do you eat? You write against Telangana while staying in Telangana?” Jagadish Reddy’s remarks crossed into dangerous territory. His words implied that media houses run by people from Andhra should not operate freely in Telangana, a clear attempt to revive old regional sentiments that had calmed post-bifurcation.
His direct threat that no police force can protect the targeted media channels and his statement that even if KCR forgives them, he and his party will not.
Political analysts have criticized the BRS leader for using the sensitive Telangana-Andhra emotional fault line to justify violence and threaten dissent.
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