An American media watchdog has condemned the detention of journalists in the newly-carved Telangana state and asked its Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to stop using incendiary language against the press.
"We condemn the arrests of journalists and threats against the press," Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Deputy Director Robert Mahoney said in a statement.
"If Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao wants a free and thriving Telangana, he should respect the role of critical media," said the New York-based independent, nonprofit organisation that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.
Scores of journalists and media workers were briefly detained this week in Telangana after they protested the blocking of two local TV news channels.
Rao has accused the stations of airing biased coverage following the June split of Andhra Pradesh that led to the creation of a new Telangana state.
