Overview

• During a June 6 debate on Sakshi TV, political analyst V.V.R. Krishnam Raju referred to Amaravati as a “capital of prostitutes,” prompting outrage from women’s groups.
• Andhra Pradesh police arrested anchor Kommineni Srinivasa Rao on June 9 and named him, Krishnam Raju and channel executives in an FIR under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and related IPC and IT Act provisions.
• Women farmers and Joint Action Committees held protests across Amaravati, Guntur and Vijayawada, filing multiple FIRs and demanding a public apology and cancellation of Sakshi TV’s licence.
• Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan condemned the remarks and pledged strict legal action, while YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy denounced the arrest as a political vendetta.
• Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission chair Rayapati Sailaja called for further investigation of Sakshi TV’s management and sought revocation of its broadcast licence to uphold women’s dignity.