Journo quizzed for hours with baby in hand over claims about Revant Reddy's daughter

An independent journalist and YouTube channel operator in Telangana, Jalli Rekha, was questioned for several hours by Hyderabad Police while carrying her six-month-old baby. The interrogation, on a complaint by a Congress leader, triggered a political controversy and sharp reactions from the BJP and BRS.Rekha was questioned by Hyderabad Police in connection with a complaint filed by Mettu Sai Kumar, Chairman of the TPCC Fisherman Congress Committee over alleged social-media claims concerning Naimisha Reddy, daughter of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and alleged links to properties and pharmaceutical companies.The FIR names Rekha's channel Mr Media Telangana, BRS leader Manne Krishank and others as accused.The woman reportedly spent several hours at the CCS while caring for her six-month-old infant. Visuals showing her leaving the police station late at night with the baby in her arms subsequently drew attention on social media, with the BJP and BRS questioning the circumstances of her questioning. BRS leaders alleged that Rekha was questioned for eight to nine hours and was not allowed to feed her baby during the interrogation. BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticised the Congress over the episode and invoked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Mohabbat Ki Dukaan" slogan."This is the Mohabbat Ka Dukaan where an infant is not allowed to be fed by her mother," KTR said in a social-media post. He alleged that Rekha's case was linked to her reporting on allegations of corruption involving the Revanth Reddy government and ended his post with, "Well done Rahul Gandhi."BRS leader Manne Krishank, who is also named as an accused in the FIR, said KTR, despite suffering from flu, called BRS women leaders around midnight and asked them to reach out to Rekha.Krishank alleged that Rekha was "harassed" by the Congress government through a police case for telecasting an Opposition party press meet on her YouTube channel.He further claimed that she was interrogated for eight hours while carrying her six-month-old baby and was not allowed to feed the child.According to Krishank, KTR also spoke to Rekha and promised to meet her after recovering from his illness.Senior BRS leader T Harish Rao also criticised the police action and demanded an immediate response from the Telangana government and the Telangana DGP."It is utterly deplorable that journalist Rekha, a mother to a six-month-old infant, was interrogated for 9 hours without even being allowed to feed her baby," Harish Rao said.He alleged that the incident amounted to an attack on press freedom and women's rights and demanded that the case against Rekha be withdrawn immediately."Actions like this that trample on press freedom and women's rights cannot be tolerated," he said.The BJP also criticised the episode, drawing attention to the visuals of Rekha leaving the CCS late at night with her baby.The party described Rekha as an independent journalist who runs a YouTube channel and claimed that the police action followed her coverage of allegations involving the family of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy."Slogans are easy. Treating a woman with dignity is harder for Congress," the BJP said in a social-media post.The controversy has centred on the circumstances in which Rekha was questioned and the opposition's allegations that she was made to remain at the police station for several hours while caring for her six-month-old child.Both the BJP and BRS have questioned the manner in which the questioning was conducted. BRS leaders have specifically alleged that Rekha was not permitted to feed her baby during the interrogation.- Ends