Visakhapatnam/IBNS: Telugu Desam party (TDP) workers stormed into the office of Deccan Chronicle, vandalised furniture, set things on fire and harassed staff over the publication of a report in Visakhapatnam, the daily has alleged.

The incident occurred in the late afternoon on Wednesday after the alleged attackers broke open the office main gate at Kailasagiri Ropeway on the Visakhapatnam-Bheemili Beach Road.

The storming into the office was allegedly led by Telugu Nadu Students' Federation and the women wing of the TDP.

Besides ransacking the furniture, the workers destroyed the security post, burnt the name board of the newspaper.

As the attack was underway, the TDP workers had questioned why the daily had published a report questioning the TDP-BJP-JSP alliance government changed its stance on privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, the daily has alleged.

Women journalists came at the front and questioned the attackers about their concerns facing the ransacking.

Deccan Chronicle has termed the incident as "premeditated" and accused the attackers of being "highly vituperative in their response" and using "abusive language".

"We will see how you will publish a paper ever again," the attackers told Deccan Chronicle staff as alleged by the daily.

After the staff dialed police, a team of officers led by Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner arrived on spot but by then, the TDP men had reportedly fled the scene.

In June 2024, N Chandrababu Naidu made a return to power as the Chief Minister after his TDP along with the BJP and JSP dislodged the YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh.