Hyderabad Police on Wednesday (11th March) detained senior journalist Revathi Pogadadanda and her colleague Tanvi Yadav in connection with the interview of a farmer who allegedly used derogatory language to show his dissatisfaction with the Anumula Revanth Reddy-led Congress government in Telangana. The interview was posted by a digital news platform the Pulse News Break which is run by Revathi. A case was filed by the police against the journalists based on a complaint filed against them.
As per reports, several people dressed in plain clothes claiming to be police personnel arrived at the residences of the two journalists and detained them. A video was shared by Revathi when cops arrived at her doorstep around 5 am. “I woke up about 30 minutes ago, the time is about 5.15 now. The police showed up half an hour ago,” she said in the video.
#Telangana: "I woke up about 30 mins ago, the time is about 5.15 now. The police showed up half an hour ago," journalist @revathitweets stated in a self-recorded video at her residence.
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) March 12, 2025
"The police might pick me and take me. So I thought I should tell everybody. One thing is… pic.twitter.com/MMT5lFWR7H
She said that the cops wanted to arrest her. She accused CM Revanth Reddy of putting pressure on her and her family to silence her. The police personnel reportedly seized her and her husband’s mobile phones and laptops. The office of the YouTube channel of the Pulse News Break was also sealed.
Late in the day, a post was made from the X handle of Revathi in which a clip of the controversial interview and a copy of a complaint against her were added. “DON’T SHARE THIS VIDEO PLEASE!!! CASES WILL BE FILED. Here is a video of my team @pulsenewsbreak speaking to an old man. He expresses his frustration about various issues, in his own language. NOW! The Telangana Congress is busy filing cases and Telangana police are very religiously filing FIRs on people who are sharing this video! REALLY?!” the post read.
In the post Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was tagged questioning him,”@RahulGandhi ji! This is the democracy you talk about? Is this part of the constitution? Please teach your government Article 19 first! And I hope your government lets the media who doesn’t fall at their feet, stay free.”
DON’T SHARE THIS VIDEO PLEASE!!!
— Revathi (@revathitweets) March 11, 2025
CASES WILL BE FILED 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Here is a video of my team @pulsenewsbreak speaking to an old man.
He expresses his frustration about various issues, in his own language.
NOW! The Telangana Congress is busy filing cases and Telangana police are… pic.twitter.com/gQYWhmseG5
Telangana government has been facing major backlash after the detention of the two journalists. The working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samiti, KTR Rama Rao condemned the detention of the two journalists. Posting on X, he questioned Rahul Gandhi, “Kya yahi hain apki “Mohabbat ki Dukaan” ? @RahulGandhi ji?”
Kya Yahi Hain Aap Ki “Mohabbat Ki Dukaan” ? @RahulGandhi Ji?
— KTR (@KTRBRS) March 12, 2025
Arresting two women journalists in the wee hours of the morning!! What is their crime?
Giving voice to the public opinion on incompetent & corrupt Congress Govt
Last I checked, the Constitution of India that you… https://t.co/DW1EP0JYCU
BRS MLA from Siddipet, Harish Rao Thanneeru also attacked the Congress government in the state calling it “insecure” and “cowardly”.
Is this democracy or dictatorship?@revanth_anumula government responds to questions with arrests.
— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) March 12, 2025
The illegal arrest of senior journalist @revathitweets garu at 5 AM today exposes how insecure and cowardly this government has become.
I strongly condemn this shameful attempt… pic.twitter.com/cP2CQT8iSY
BJP IT Cell head criticised the ‘illegal detention’ of Revathi accusing the Telangana government of ‘”assault on press freedom”. He added that the Telangana CM is mistaking himself for a monarch.
Telangana police arrested senior journalist Revathi P, who reports for PulseTV, at 5am this morning.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 12, 2025
There is no justification for this illegal detention, regardless of the reason. This is dictatorship—an outright assault on press freedom.
This isn’t the first time Congress has…
Expressing shock over the arrest of the journalists, Telangana BJP spokesperson NV Subhas described the police action as “Midnight crackdown on press freedom”.
