RJF demands accreditation cards for scribes in Kurnool

Kurnool: Members of Rayalaseema Journalists Forum (RJF) on Friday staged a one-day relay hunger strike demanding the government to give accreditation cards to all newspaper journalists without linking them to GST and attendance. Several leaders of various political parties have also extended their solidarity to the journalists' protest.

BJP Yuva Morcha (BJYM) state general secretary Byreddy Shabari after participating in the protest alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy government was doing great injustice to journalists. She said the small and medium papers have given maximum support to Jagan while he was doing padayatra before the elections.

She asked as to why Jagan Mohan Reddy was showing partiality on these papers now, who appreciated the coverage by these papers during the time of his padayatra. She said that she will take the journalists' issue to the notice of the party high command and fight for justice provided for them. CPM party district president Prabhakar Reddy said that none of the earlier governments has showed partiality on journalists.

He said Jagan government was showing discrimination on small and big periodicals. To suppress the small and medium papers, the government was bringing a lot of GOs and not giving accreditation cards. Prabhakar Reddy said that the CPM will stand by the journalists in achieving their rights.

TDP BC cell state general secretary Y Nageswara Rao Yadav said that the journalists play a vital role in bringing out the facts and they will act as bridge between the people and government. They will work round the clock for the welfare of society even risking their lives, he said.

He demanded the government to immediately sanction accreditation cards without linking to GST and others. RJF founder president Bathina Naveen said that it is the right of every journalist to get the accreditation.

TDP Mahila city secretary Chandrakala Bai, BC organisation state leader Seshu Phani, RJF leaders Chandrasekhar Reddy, Nagaraj, Shareef, Rajendra Prasad, Sujan, Sardar Basha and the leaders of KVPS, BC, SC, ST and Minority Ikya Vedika, TNSF general secretary Boggula Praveen and Congress party also attended the programme.