The TDP-led government in Andhra Pradesh has launched a crackdown over the past week, targeting social media activists linked to the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) over alleged misuse of social media for character assassination and defamation of women.
The Andhra Pradesh police action comes as Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu issued a stern warning to those posting inappropriate content on social media, stating, “If anyone behaves like an animal, the government is going to treat them like an animal.”
The week-long police clampdown has resulted in the detention of over 100 YSRCP activists across the state for allegedly posting disparaging content on social media. The authorities have also made multiple arrests, issued hundreds of lookout notices, and registered cases against activists linked to the opposition party.
The police action comes amid a wave of alleged objectionable content posted by these activists, targeting CM Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and their families, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anita, APCC President YS Sharmila Reddy, and family members of the late YS Vivekananda Reddy, as well as other women.
YSRCP party leaders are alleging that more than 650 notices were served to its party activists, filed 147 cases and arrested 49 persons over social media posts in the past one week.
The police allege that YSRCP’s social media network, operating from the Tadepalli party headquarters, engaged in these activities statewide. Investigations have reportedly traced these operations back to Kadapa.
Among those arrested is 38-year-old Varra Ravindra Reddy, a YSRCP social media activist, who has been accused of posting offensive content targeting the Andhra Pradesh government’s top brass and their families. On Tuesday, he was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
Police say Ravindra used social media to spread defamatory content, fabricate explicit images, and incite unrest among various communities.
Ravindra managed around 40 YouTube channels, which were used to spread vulgar content, particularly targeting women leaders. The investigation has identified 45 individuals, including Reddy, involved in these activities. His actions, coordinated by a network of supporters, were seen as promoting division and undermining social harmony, officials said.
Police say that Ravindra has confessed to posting defamatory content targeting opposition leaders and their families on social media platforms since the general elections, allegedly under the instructions of YSRC social media in-charge Sajjala Bhargav Reddy.
The remand report revealed several details, including Bhargav Reddy’s alleged coercion of Ravindra to post objectionable content against the judiciary for its verdict on the proposal of three capitals by the previous YSRC government.
Ravindra reportedly stated that his social media credentials had been controlled by Bhargav Reddy since the start of the operation. He accused Bhargav Reddy of directing him to post defamatory content against YS Vijayamma, YS Sharmila Reddy, and N Suneetha, leading to complaints against him in Hyderabad.
Ravindra further claimed that Bandi Raghava Reddy, PA to MP YS Avinash Reddy, provided him with the content for the posts. He also alleged that both Avinash Reddy and Raghava Reddy frequently discussed strategies for these posts.
Meanwhile, special police teams have been formed to arrest other prominent figures, including Bhargav Reddy, Arjun Reddy, a party activist and close aide of Jagan Mohan Reddy, and Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy’s aide Raghava Reddy, as confirmed by Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen.
Following these developments, several social media activists have reportedly gone into hiding.
Similarly, the police on Wednesday summoned film director Ram Gopal Varma for questioning in connection with the posting of morphed photographs of CM Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan on social media.
On November 11, Prakasam district police registered a case against the director for allegedly posting those morphed photographs on social media.
Last week, CM Chandrababu Naidu criticised the reckless language used on social media, particularly against women, and vowed that those responsible would face consequences.
"The language on social media is reckless. They are making objectionable comments about women. Should we not take action? Should I ignore it? They have become criminals," he said at a public meeting in Amaravati on November 7. The CM alleged that YSRCP members were using social media to post obscene messages intended to demoralise the administration.
Naidu also warned that the state government would examine both local and international laws to take action against individuals who engage in character assassination and said that freedom of speech does not justify defaming women.
Two days later, the Andhra Pradesh CM reiterated his warning that the government will take firm action against those targeting women, even if they were from the YSRCP.
"You may have no respect for your family members, be it your mother or sister. But I have respect for them. Do not post anything that disrespects women, including the wives and daughters of the YSR Congress Party. I will not tolerate it if it happens," he told the media in Srisailam on November 9.
Similarly, state Home Minister V Anitha, who has been a target of the social media attacks, directed police to act tough on abusive social media posts against political leaders, women, and other sections of society. She also said the government is committed to exploring special legislative measures for the effective prosecution of those involved in social media abuse.
Meanwhile, APCC chief Sharmila on Tuesday accused her brother and YSRCP supremo Jagan of encouraging the party's activists to make indecent posts against her on social media.
Addressing the press in Vijayawada, Sharmila said, "They (social media activists) spoke as they liked, about me, Sunitha (late YS Vivekananda Reddy's daughter), and mother (YS Vijayamma). Jagan Mohan Reddy himself told them to make those indecent posts."
Observing that social media activists have emerged as a "Satanic army," she called for action and regulation on this virtual medium.
Though some social media activists have been nabbed, Sharmila said the actual perpetrators behind them should be apprehended and punished.
Following the series of arrests, Jagan has responded to the police action, claiming that his party is waging a war against "demonic yellow media" and its "unethical social media."
Asserting that truth would prevail, he claimed that illegal detentions, undue harassment, and false cases had become the order of the day.
The YSRCP has also issued strict guidelines to its workers and sympathisers not to use abusive words or post derogatory content involving women, and all social media activists should act in a dignified manner.
“Posts can be sarcastic. They can question the government on policy matters, but don’t use unparliamentary language against women. Morally also, it is not good. They (the government and TDP) are using this against us as a tool,” said YSRC legal wing president M Manohar Reddy in an 'X' spaces session conducted by the party's social media wing.
Manohar said the party's legal wing has started digging through social media posts made by the TDP's social media teams over the past several months, claiming that the objectionable posts made by TDP social media teams were much higher than those made by YSRC teams.
He also made assurances on behalf of Jagan that the party would fight legally against police cases to any extent.
(With additional inputs from ENS, PTI and ANI)
