Chandrababu Naidu slams YSRCP's order on media, says 'curbs freedom'

Slamming the YSRCP government's order related to media passed on Wednesday, former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu stated that the order curbed the media's right to question, criticize and showcase the govt's failures. He added that the order curbed Andhra Pradesh's freedom of expression in the social media sphere. Vowing to take the fight to the streets, he claimed that with the order the police could register false complaints against the institutions.

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Naidu slams YSRCP govt's order

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Andhra Pradesh govt passes order to counter fake news

Earlier on October 15, the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government passed an order permitting the Special Commissioner, Information and Public Relations to lodge complaints and file defamation cases against publishers and editors. The order stated that to counter false, baseless and defamatory news, the Special Commissioner was permitted to lodge appropriate complaints and cases under appropriate sections of law. The order included news items published/telecast in Print/electronic/social media.

Following this, earlier in the day, the order further permitted secretaries of respective departments to issue rejoinders, file complaints and lodge cases against 'defamatory news items' trying to tarnish the image of the government and the government officials. The order was passed in the name of the Governor of  Andhra Pradesh by the state government. All secretaries were directed to take necessary action.

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2007 government order

The above order is an extension of a 2007 order passed by Jagan Mohan Reddy's father - the then-CM of undivided Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. As per reports, he had issued the Government Order empowering the Commissioner, Information and Public Relations, to file cases against media houses spreading false news with malafide intentions. After initially passing the order on October 15, the state government, which was slammed by Opposition led by Naidu, and journalists alike had reportedly justified stating there is an imperative need for the flow of news pertaining to various government departments in an accurate manner without any ''distortion, slant or prejudice''.

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