Now, Is BRS Painting ‘Andhra’ Color on Media?

It has been well over a decade since the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh. Telangana, now a separate state, has established its own identity and cultural significance. However, even to this day, the Telangana sentiment is often invoked for political reasons, especially by the BRS ecosystem.

This has now reached a point where certain BRS leaders appear to be losing control, as they have started targeting media outlets in the name of “Andhra Pradesh media.”

This was evident in the case of BRS senior leader RS Praveen Kumar, who targeted Andhra Jyothi and labeled it as “Andhra Pradesh media.” He even said that Andhra Jyothi should change its name to Telangana Jyothi if it truly has any commitment toward the people of Telangana.

This blatant attempt to divide and discredit media houses based on regional identity has not gone down well with the general public on social media. Many are calling out the hypocrisy of the BRS leadership.

A few netizens are pointing out that BRS previously expressed interest in contesting elections in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, speaking about diversity and inclusion. But now, the same party seems to have a problem with a media outlet from Andhra that has been operating in Telangana for decades.

At this stage, there is little point in reigniting the Telangana-Andhra sentiment. The general public has clearly moved on from this narrative.

With BRS already facing backlash for attacking the Maha TV office, this new line of attack by Praveen Kumar is also likely to backfire. After all, governance and performance dictate political success, not hostility towards media houses. After losing the major Telangana election in 2023, it is disappointing to see BRS trying to tap into the Telangana sentiment whenever it suits their narrative, observed a political critic.