On Saturday, the Hyderabad office of Mahaa News was attacked violently by a mob of unidentified persons, in what seems to be a politically charged incident. The attackers were said to be abetted by eyewitnesses who claimed that they were workers of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and party leader K.T. Rama Rao’s supporters. The mob, armed with sticks, stones, and knives, stormed the building and inflicted massive damage.
The attackers were said to have desecrated cars parked outside the building before they went into the newsroom, where they destroyed computers, furniture, and other office material. A number of employees were injured in the mayhem and were rushed to nearby hospitals to receive treatment. The overall magnitude of the destruction is yet to be determined, but initial estimates indicate heavy losses, both in terms of infrastructure and team morale.
Mahaa News, which has been known for its critical Telangana politics reporting, strongly denounced the attack. One of its senior editors called it “an assault on press freedom and democratic values,” and pledged not to be silenced by intimidation.
The attack has brought widespread political and popular condemnation. Leaders of the Congress party, including Telangana Deputy Chief Minister, went to the Mahaa News office to express support. They characterized the attack as an attempt to silence independent journalism and demanded immediate arrests of the perpetrators.
Media houses, civil society organizations, and journalists unions also condemned the attack, with Press Club of Hyderabad calling for immediate action by the police. Telangana Police have since opened an investigation and raised security levels for media houses in the city.
So far, neither the BRS nor K.T. Rama Rao has made an official comment. The attack has rekindled national fear for journalists’ safety and the increasing threats to freedom of the press in India, highlighting the necessity for greater protections for the media.
