The Andhra Pradesh police arrested Sakshi TV anchor Kommineni Srinivasa Rao from his home in Hyderabad on Monday over alleged derogatory remarks against women on his debate show.
In a show on June 6, political commentator VVR Krishnamraju had referred to the state capital Amaravati as the ‘capital of sex workers’ while referring to the findings of a study by the National AIDS Control Organisation, which found that Andhra Pradesh had the second highest concentration of female sex workers in India.
Leaders of the governing TDP-Jana Sena-BJP coalition called the remarks an insult to the women of Amaravati and claimed they were made as part of a conspiracy by YSR Congress Party and Sakshi TV, at the behest of YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his wife YS Bharathi Reddy, who heads the Sakshi Media Group.
.@ncbn గారూ.. అనని మాటలను సీనియర్ జర్నలిస్టు కొమ్మినేని శ్రీనివాసరావుగారికి ఆపాదిస్తూ, వాటిని వక్రీకరించి విషప్రచారం చేసి, ఆయన్ను అరెస్టు చేయడమే కాకుండా సాక్షి యూనిట్ ఆఫీసులమీద ఒక పథకం ప్రకారం దాడులు చేయించారు. ఈ అరాచకానికి మహిళల గౌరవం అనే ముసుగు తొడిగి ఎక్కడికక్కడ విధ్వంసం…
— YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) June 9, 2025
Jagan called the arrest as an act of political vendetta. He questioned the rationale behind the arrest of a moderator for remarks he never made, simply for hosting a debate. “In any discussion, diverse views are natural. Punishing the anchor for guests’ views is not only unjust but also dangerous,” he said.
Rao has reportedly been taken to Guntur to be produced before a court.
A case was registered at the Thullur police station after a complaint lodged by State Madiga Corporation Director Khambampati Sirisha.
Along with Srinivasa Rao, Krishnamraju, and the management of Sakshi TV have also been named in the FIR. They have been booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and other relevant sections of the BNS.
Several Amaravati-based women farmers and members of various Joint Action Committees have also filed complaints, condemning the remarks.
Assembly Deputy Speaker K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju also filed a complaint with the DGP and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu strongly condemned the remarks.
“Our culture honours daughters and mothers. Vulgar and disgraceful remarks against them, under the guise of political discourse or media commentary, are unacceptable,” Naidu said.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan shared the same sentiment, warning that the government would take stringent legal action. He described the remarks as part of a politically motivated smear campaign against Amaravati and its women land contributors.
“This is not an isolated incident. It’s part of a well-orchestrated conspiracy. The public must see through the real intentions of Jagan Mohan Reddy and his media machinery,” he said.
Meanwhile, the YSR Congress Party dismissed the outrage as a “malicious campaign” led by the Telugu Desam Party and its media allies. YSRCP leader Pothina Mahesh clarified that the statements made by the journalist were not reflective of the party’s views. “TDP is deliberately amplifying these remarks to divert attention from the strong public response to our recent protests,” Mahesh said.
He also accused the TDP and its social media wing of hypocrisy, alleging that they regularly engage in online abuse, including targeting YSRCP women leaders and supporters.
Update on June 13: Rao was granted bail on Friday with the Supreme Court asking how the case could be against him when someone else made the statement, according to LiveLaw.
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