The TDP has once again complained to the Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal about paid news being telecast in Sakshi TV channel owned by the YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, in the form of programmes.
In a letter to the CEO, party senior leader Dadi Veerabhadra Rao has said that the act was a violation of the provisions of the Representation of People’s Act 1951, the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995 and the instructions of the Election Commission of India on paid news.
He said though his party has complained about the ‘Peddayana’ programme being telecast in the channel earlier, no action was taken. He has pointed that the programme was being continuously telecast by the channel which was basically of propaganda nature. He said on the polling day on Tuesday, the programme was being repeatedly telecast since 7 am. The entire programme was with Visuals of the late Dr. Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and his funeral procession with praises on YSR. He said this programme was nothing but political advertisement of the YSR Congress and intended at influencing the voters in the constituencies in which by-elections were being held. He has asked the CEO to treat the programme as paid news and account the cost of advertisement in the expenditure of the YSR Congress party candidates. (NSS)