Why Can't Media Cover Secretariat Demolition?

[Anta Assamey]

The secrecy with which the Telangana government was demolishing the official buildings in the secretariat complex in Hyderabad has led to a serious debate in the media and in the political circles.

Telangana Congress working president A Revanth Reddy went to the extent of alleging that the KCR government was keeping the entire exercise a secrecy because there is a huge treasure beneath the old Saifabad palace within the Secretariat premises and the TRS boss had an eye on it.

On Tuesday, a senior journalist working for a television channel and a Telugu newspaper filed a petition in the state high court questioning the Telangana government’s decision not to allow the media to cover the demolition activity of the secretariat buildings. 

He alleged that the government had imposed ‘unofficial gagging orders’ and ‘unreasonable restrictions’ on the journalists by denying permissions to cover and report the said demolition news of the secretariat buildings.

“It is illegal, arbitrary and violation of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India,” he said.

He said for the people, media is the only mode to get real-time information.

The government’s action curtails the right of the reporting of the media persons and also affecting their right to carry their profession and also affecting the citizen’s right to receive information, he argued.

The journalist pointed out that the Telangana government had not released even a single photograph of the demolition of the secretariat buildings.

He appealed to the court to issue appropriate orders to the government for allowing media to cover the demolition works.

The high court admitted the petition and will take up the hearing on Wednesday.

[Anta Assamey]