Amaravati, April 1 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the principal opposition party in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday lambasted a local English daily for publishing a report which falsely claimed that the party is merging with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Nara Chandrababu Naidu allegedly finalised a deal.
Varla Ramaiah, TDP national general secretary and politburo member alleged that the story headlined ‘TDP merges with BJP, Naidu finalises deal’ is a fake story.
“The timing makes it abundantly clear that the author has allowed his personal interest to influence his professional duties in violation of IFWJ’s call for code of conduct (2016),” said Ramaiah.
The report did create a flutter, attracting reactions from rivals and went on to claim that the three-term Chief Minister Naidu has allegedly decided the merger because TDP ‘lost its verve and there is little hope of reinvigorating the party’.
The report claimed that TDP lost people’s support and was allegedly deserted by leaders and cadres across all the districts and regions of the state.
It went on to claim that TDP put a precondition to reward Naidu with a plum post but that demand was allegedly put down while no promise was made about the political future of Nara Lokesh and other damaging claims.
The daily however mentioned at the end of the report that it is a spoof.A political analyst said, “Readers must carefully look at today’s date.They would realise the right conclusion to come to is April Fool’s Day.”
However, Ramaiah said the report is a manufactured hoax and sinks journalistic ethics to a new low, eroding public faith in journalism.
The TDP leader said the report questions the professional integrity of the daily and the reporter.
“He has further set a dangerous precedent by using news as a medium to demonstrate that fiction can be indistinguishable from fact.The TDP condemns and urges the editors’ guild of India to take a stern action,” he noted.
Ramaiah called on the guild to not just issue a passive condemnation but act against the mischievous elements in journalism that call the integrity of the profession into question with dishonest acts.
“Press freedom does not mean freedom to spread lies,” he added.
Nara Lokesh, Naidu’s son and almost second in command of the regional party alleged that Y.S.Jagan Mohan Reddy is using the media to propagate false news.
“Until Reddy came to power he used his blue media as a weapon to propagate false news which he is using even after coming to power.They are trying to propagate the same false and venomous propaganda but are falling flat down,” he claimed.
He also slammed the reporter and challenged him to write reports on the alleged unpaid salaries of the media house he belongs to.
BJP’s national secretary and Andhra Pradesh co-incharge Sunil Deodhar shared the report and called it an ‘April Fool?’.
Meanwhile, ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and Rajya Sabha member V.Vijayasai Reddy questioned that even before the garland used to for TDP founder Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao’s statue on the foundation day wilted, why they are allegedly merging TDP with BJP.
Reddy claimed that he did not think Naidu would become such a big fool on April Fools day.
AP got rid of the high command and Delhi lordship business of a national political party calling the shots with subservient junior leaders located locally in the 2014 elections after wiping out Congress from the political landscape of the southern state.
It is not yet clear if the Telugu people are again yearning for another overlordship on them in the form of the BJP as only the general elections after three years can tell
.
