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Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has asked media organisations to avoid defaming his Cabinet colleagues amid tiffs with their competitors. His remarks came at a public meeting on January 18, the same day that Telugu daily ABN Andhrajyothy published an editorial by its managing editor Vemuri Radhakrishna, alleging that Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka had resorted to irregularities over a coal mining tender to be awarded by the state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).
Addressing a public meeting in Khammam, Revanth denied the corruption allegations. “Some newspapers are writing about tenders, alleging there is a scam in Singareni. I want to tell the opposition, newspapers, TV channels, and social media, that there's no scope for irregularities in this government.”
He went on to say that if media houses had rivalries, they should resolve them internally. “Don’t drag us into it or defame our Ministers. When you do such things, it only helps BRS,” he said.
In his weekly column, Kottha Paluku, Radhakrishna had alleged that Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka and NTV Chairman Tummala Narendra Chowdary together wanted to give the tender for the Naini coal block in Odisha to a company they favoured.
It alleged that Bhatti Vikramarka, who also holds the Energy and Finance portfolio, tweaked the tender qualification norms so their favoured company could get an unfair advantage. According to Radhakrishna, Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy started pushing for his family-owned company to also qualify for the tender.
The editorial alleged that it was due to the differences over this contract that NTV carried a story insinuating an alleged personal relationship between a woman IAS officer and a political leader in Nalgonda. Though the channel did not name them, they made references that made it easy to identify them and used sexual innuendo.
Komatireddy Venkat Reddy denied these allegations, and the NTV journalists involved were even arrested following a complaint from the Telangana IAS Officers’ Association.
Radhakrishna slammed NTV for the report, saying it betrayed journalistic values and diluted public trust in Telugu media. Incidentally, in the same column in October 2025, Radhakrishna had alleged that a few Ministers had been summoning women officers to their homes. The column said that CM Revanth was upset with his Ministers for undermining his authority and acting as per their wishes.
Bhatti Vikramarka also held a press meet on January 18 denying the allegations in Andhrajyothi. He said he had directed SCCL to cancel the mining tender for the Naini coal block following the allegations.
“I won’t just say anything like Radhakrishna, because I am responsible,” Bhatti Vikramarka said.
CM Revanth also asked media organisations to approach him for clarifications before publishing such reports against his party leaders, saying it reflects poorly on his leadership.
“I am always available to give clarifications to the media. As their leader, any allegations on my MLAs, MPs, MLCs, Ministers, are an insult to my honour. They raise questions on my leadership,” he said.
"Some newspapers have written that there was a direct or indirect scam. Singareni tenders are being given to experienced companies. There is no scope for corruption of even one paisa," he added.
Revanth Reddy claimed that the state government has given no room for any irregularities during the last two years.
Revanth Reddy also used the platform to urge the followers of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao (NTR) and current Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Telangana to decimate the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
He said that BRS conspired to eliminate Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from Telangana and target its leadership.
As January 18 was NTR's death anniversary, the Chief Minister told his fans and followers of Chandrababu Naidu that they can pay real tribute to NTR when they bury BRS and former Telangana Chief Minister KCR 100 metres deep.
Some people at the public meeting were seen waving flags of the TDP.