Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay, issued a stern warning to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday, stating that any further attack on media organizations, particularly ABN Andhra Jyothi, would provoke a counter-response. He cautioned that the BJP would not remain silent if press freedom is threatened.
Speaking to reporters in Jagtial district, Sanjay accused BRS leaders of attempting to intimidate the media and alleged that a group had previously attacked the ABN office. He claimed the party was now targeting a Telugu daily—owned by the same media group—for publishing a critical editorial.
He revealed that BJP state president G. Ramchandra Rao had instructed the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) to be prepared to retaliate within two hours by targeting Telangana Bhavan, the BRS headquarters, should another attack on ABN occur.
Sanjay further criticized the Congress government in Telangana, alleging it was shielding BRS leaders involved in acts of violence and corruption. “Had the assailants who attacked ABN been arrested and punished, this situation wouldn’t have arisen,” he said.
He reiterated the BJP’s commitment to defending democracy and press freedom. “KCR’s goondaism has no place in Telangana—we will not tolerate it,” he declared, referring to BRS leader and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.
Taking aim at BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao, Sanjay condemned the social media trolling of his son over an expensive shirt. “Just because my son wore a costly shirt, they claim I amassed ₹1,000 crore. I challenge the KCR family to visit a temple and swear on their properties—benami and otherwise,” he said.
He also targeted the Congress government over its alleged inaction in key scandals such as the Kaleshwaram project, phone tapping, and the Formula-E scam.
Sanjay did not spare the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) either. He questioned why HYDRAA failed to demolish the building of AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s college, which was allegedly constructed on a lakebed, while it continued to demolish homes of the poor in the Musi River catchment area.
“HYDRAA claims it can’t demolish Owaisi’s college because 10,000 students are studying there. But where was this logic when it came to demolishing huts and small houses of the underprivileged?” he asked, demanding accountability from the state government.
