Some news channels have gone off air at several places in Andhra Pradesh following the declaration of the results of the Assembly and Parliamentary elections with an opposition YSRCP Parliamentarian alleging coercion by the state government leading to them being blocked.
Allegations of channels- TV9, NTV, 10TV and Sakshi TV- being blocked have been levelled against the NDA government, comprising TDP, BJP and Janasena.
YSRCP Rajya Sabha member S Niranjan Reddy complained to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) over the alleged blocking of these four vernacular news channels by the government.
In a recent letter to TRAI, Reddy claimed the Andhra Pradesh Cable TV Operators Association took these four channels off air due to alleged coercion by the TDP-led government in the state.
“I am compelled to bring to your (TRAI) esteemed attention the illegal resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh Cable TV Operators Association under pressure and directions from the newly formed government to permanently block several news channels,” Reddy said.
He alleged TV9, NTV, 10TV and Sakshi TV were blocked ‘without any lawful justification or procedural compliance.’
Overwhelmed by a negative publicity onslaught over several years allegedly by rivals, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had established Sakshi newspaper and television channel around 2008 to disseminate a counter narrative.
Meanwhile, a local multi-system operator (cable TV service provider) from the Godavari region confirmed these four channels were blocked.