YSR Cong govt empowers secretaries to sue media for false news

The Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday decided to empower secretaries concerned to initiate legal action against the media if it published "false news" that could "hamper the progress of the state."

The state cabinet, which met here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Jagan, decided to implement government order (No.938) issued on February 20, 2007 and initiate legal action against "defamatory news spread with malafide interest in print, electronic and social media."

The order was issued during late Rajasekhara Reddys (Jagan's father) tenure as chief minister.

Unlike in 2007, the state government has decided to delegate full powers to the secretaries concerned to file appropriate court cases within 24 hours against the organisation for the news item published or telecast or posted in any print, electronic or social media, a cabinet memorandum presented by Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkataramaiah said.

Hitherto, the ..