Reddy

Hyderabad, Feb. 23: The Andhra Pradesh government last night withdrew an executive order that empowered the information commissioner to file cases against any anti-government print media or television report.

The order (GO No. 938) was issued on Tuesday, authorising the special commissioner of information and public relations to appoint a public prosecutor to proceed against editors, publishers and reporters for telecasting or publishing false and defamatory news.

However, the move was embroiled in controversy with parties accusing Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s Congress government of trying to gag the media.

Chief secretary J. Harinarayana, in whose name the order had been issued, was apparently not aware of it.

He came to know about it during a routine review meeting with the chief minister on Thursday. Sources said the draft had been prepared by Reddy’s political secretary.

However, the chief minister, too, pleaded ignorance when he was attacked in the Assembly today. “The moment it was brought to my notice last night, I examined it and found it to be a bit problematic. I immediately ordered that it be withdrawn,” Reddy said.

The war of words over the order — issued in the midst of a government campaign against media baron Ramoji Rao and CID raids on the offices of Margadarsi Financiers that he owns — forced adjournment of the House without transacting any business for the second day in a row.

Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu threw his papers on the table and got into a heated argument with Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy, who had earlier disallowed adjournment notices moved by the Desam, the Telengana Rashtra Samity and the CPM on the government order.