The latest tweet from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao (KTR), condemning the arrest of popular journalist Revathi Pogadadanda, her husband, and another journalist in the early hours of Wednesday, has taken many by surprise.
Revathi was taken into custody by the Hyderabad cybercrime police for allegedly posting a derogatory video and comment on her social media handle.
Additionally, her digital news platform Pulse News Break aired an interview with a farmer who made abusive remarks against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
KTR expressed his outrage in a tweet: “Kya Yahi Hain Aap Ki ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’? RahulGandhi Ji? Arresting two women journalists in the wee hours of the morning!! What is their crime? Giving voice to public opinion on the incompetent & corrupt Congress Govt? Last I checked, the Constitution of India that you hold regularly upholds Freedom of Speech, Mr. Gandhi.”
The tweet has sparked widespread curiosity, as KTR and the BRS were known for targeting Revathi during their tenure.
During K. Chandrashekar Rao’s (KCR) tenure as Chief Minister, Revathi, then the anchor and CEO of Mojo TV, was a vocal critic of the BRS government.
Her investigative stories on student suicides linked to the 2019 Intermediate exam paper leak caused a political storm.
Similarly, her interviews with turmeric farmers in Nizamabad were believed to have played a role in the defeat of KCR’s daughter, K. Kavitha, in the 2019 elections.
The BRS government retaliated by filing multiple cases against Revathi. In the same year, she was arrested under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
KTR also allegedly pressured his corporate allies to take over Mojo TV, forcing her resignation and leading to the channel’s eventual shutdown.
Given this history, KTR’s sudden support for Revathi following her arrest by the Congress government has raised eyebrows.
Sources indicate that after the BRS lost power to the Congress in December 2023, KTR began reworking his political strategies to challenge Revanth Reddy’s administration.
As part of this plan, he reportedly started funding several social media platforms and digital media outlets to criticize the Congress government and highlight its shortcomings.
In this process, KTR reportedly reconciled with anti-establishment figures, including Revathi, integrating her into his media network.
Her newly-founded digital channel has since been publishing stories critical of the Congress government while refraining from scrutinizing the BRS. Some sources claim that KTR has been financially backing her platform.
For the past year, Revathi has consistently published reports against the Congress government without any criticism of the BRS.
“This is a clear indication that she has aligned with the BRS,” sources said.
