The Press Council of India (PCI) issued notices on May 14 to the Chief Secretary (CS) of the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP), the Director- General of Police (DGP), Police Commissioner (CP), Vijayawada, and general managers of Novotel Vijayawada Varun and Ilapuram Hotels seeking reply for allegedly preventing film director Ram Gopal Varma and producer Rakesh Reddy from holding a press conference on their film Lakshmi's NTR.

They have been asked to respond within two weeks of date of receipt of the notices.

The PCI stated that the restriction on conducting the press conference amounted to imposing an unfair curbs on the freedom of expression and pre-censorship on the media. Since the matter prima facie concerned free functioning of the press, PCI chairman Justice C.K. Prahlad viewed the incident with concern and took suo moto cognizance of the matter under Regulation 13 of the Press Council (Procedure for Inquiry) Regulations, 1979.

IJU complaint

Indian Journalists’ Union (IJU) president D. Amar and secretary general Sabina Inderjit stated in a press release that the PCI slammed the A.P. police for preventing Mr. Varma and Mr. Rakesh Reddy from holding the press conference in Vijayawada on April 26, acting on a complaint by IJU leader and Press Council of India former member K. Amarnath.

In his complaint, Mr. Amarnath said preventing Mr. Varma and Mr. Rakesh Reddy from holding the press conference was a clear case of intimidation and an attempt to curtail freedom of the press, impose pre-censorship and deny the people’s right to information. He stated that the above hotels refused to book halls for holding the press conference due to pressure from the police and the ruling party.