Mahaa News Office Vandalised In Hyderabad: Politicians Slam Assault On Press Freedom

The office of Telugu language channel Mahaa News was violently attacked by unidentified people in Hyderabad. They broke vehicles and damaged property. The attack has come under scathing criticism from across the political spectrum, with leaders terming it a “blow to press freedom”.

According to the police, the attackers came in a group and vandalised several cars parked outside the channel’s building. Parts of the structure were vandalised too. The police also said the identities of the attackers are still not confirmed and an investigation is on, as per latest information.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka will visit the Mahaa News office, reports said.

MLC Venkat Balmoor, who is from the ruling Congress party, condemned the attack and accused the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of being responsible for the incident. “This type of intimidation has no place in a democracy,” he said.

Politicians Condemn Mahaa News Office Attack

BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar strongly condemned the attack, holding the BRS directly responsible. “This is not an attack on a building-it is an attack on the freedom of the press,” he wrote on X. He blamed the BRS, headed by former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, for orchestrating the attack and said it was done to divert attention from recent controversies engulfing the party.

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The BJP leader connected the attack to the recent suicide of a journalist, for which people allegedly involved with BRS have been charged with abetment. “You can shatter cameras, not truth. You can muffle voices, not questions. This is not merely wrong-it’s a crime,” Kumar said, calling upon the Congress government to act quickly.

Joining the protest, actor-turned-politician and Janasena Party leader Pawan Kalyan called the attack “unjustifiable”. “If objections are to be raised on any news content, there are democratic and legal means of doing it. Turning to violence is not right,” he said, asking the Telangana government to hold someone accountable.

The incident has again raised questions on the safety of journalists and media outlets in Telangana. Media associations have also condemned it and asked for the safety of media personnel.

The police have registered a case and are scanning CCTV cameras around the region to confirm the identity of the attackers. 

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