Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) strongly condemned the intemperate and vicious remarks of Marketing Minister M.Mareppa against journalists. General Secretary, APUWJ, Y Narender Reddy in a press release urged Chief Minister to rein in the erring minister in the interest of democratic polity and freedom of press. Mareppa reportedly used choicest abuses against journalists and asked public to thrash them with chappals speaking in a public meeting on Wednesday at Kalyanadurgam in Anantapur district. The minister alleged that all the reporters were writing false reports, hence, people should beat them with chappals.The media and working journalists don't need the advice of Mareppa on what they should report and what not to be report. It is unfortunate that a person who is holding a cabinet minister's post should instigate the people to beat the working journalist with chappals. This sort of behaviour of minister endangers the democratic polity and freedom of expression. If Mareppa is aggreived on a particular report, he should approach the proper fora for remedial action. In this context APUWJ demands that Mareppa should immediately tender unconditional apology for his intemperate and undemocratic remarks.