The unsavoury incident that happened during a debate in ABN Andhra Jyothy channel a couple of days ago, in which Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi leader Kolikalapudi Srinivas Rao hit BJP general secretary Vishnuvardhan Reddy with his footwear triggered an uproar in the media.
Already, the ABN-Andhra Jyothy channel had earned enough notoriety for being a pro-Telugu Desam Party channel and the chappal attack on the BJP leader has brought a total disgrace to the channel.
Popular news anchor Venkata Krishna who was conducting the debate tried to undo the damage quickly by sending Srinivasa Rao out from the debate immediately and declaring that the channel would not allow such persons lacking self-control and decency in behaviour to the debates once again.
However, the very next day, Venkata Krishna backtracked on his statement and invited Srinivasa Rao to the debate.
He wanted to end the controversy by making Srinivasa Rao express sorry for the behaviour, but the latter refused to do so.
Apparently, the channel management led by Radhakrishna wanted to play a Dalit card to save the channel from embarrassment.
Srinivasa Rao happens to be a Dalit and so, the channel management thought the BJP or for that matter, YSRC leaders would not dare attack him because he happens to be a Dalit.
However, the BJP acted smartly and issued a statement saying that the party was boycotting ABN Andhra Jyothy for insulting its party leader Vishnuvardhan Reddy.
It accused the channel management of throwing all media ethics and standards to winds and working as a pamphlet of the TDP.
The BJP announced that it would neither invite the correspondents of ABN-Andhra Jyothy channel as well as Andhra Jyothy daily for any of its events nor would it participate in the debates hosted by the channel.
The party demanded an unconditional apology from the Andhra Jyothy management and till then, the BJP will continue to boycott the media house.
