VIJAYAWADA: In what could be a prominent step to keep the social media platforms free from abusive language, creating a space for healthy discussions highlighting the government's good work and shortcomings, if any, in a fair and dignified manner, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led NDA government has launched a major crackdown on those who are posting abusive and derogatory posts and comments on political leaders, their family members and individuals on social media platforms.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior official from the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (APCID) said that as many as 67 notices under Section 41A of the CrPC were served to various people for posting abusive, defamatory, promoting enmity between groups and castes, and obscenely morphed photos of various political leaders, including Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, APCC president YS Sharmila Reddy and others.
The CID officials said around 100 cases were booked in all 26 districts across the state during a special drive conducted to ensure discipline among the public using social media platforms.
The CID officials further said that abusive language, personal defamation, and posting unverified and morphed photos of leaders and individuals are being considered as parameters for registering cases.
The CID sleuths also urged the public to lodge complaints if they were suffering from this kind of social media abuse and assured that stringent action would be initiated against them by filing cases according to the law.
“We, state police, are urging the public to understand that the entire exercise is to clean the social media platforms and to encourage youngsters to open up on pressing problems instead of indulging in political rivalries and caste wars. Irrespective of the political affiliation, cases are being registered based on their posts and social media activities,” the officer clarified.
Expressing serious concern on the growing malicious propaganda and personal abuse beyond acceptable limits, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu several times warned opposition YSRCP leaders and the party's social media activists not to cross the line by posting abusive posts against family members of leaders disturbing the harmony.
Not sparing his own party leaders and ally Janasena party leaders and social media activists, Naidu warned them not to cross the line by posting abusive posts; instead, he suggested tackling them in a dignified manner, highlighting their failures.
Naidu underscored the need for punishing miscreants misusing social media platforms and posting objectionable remarks against women.
“YSRC activists resorted to posting offensive comments against Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and his family members, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, and Balakrishna’s wife Vasundhara. They even did not spare APCC president YS Sharmila Reddy, her mother Vijayamma and her cousin N Sunitha Reddy. A new legislation needs to be formulated to prevent such people from posting such offensive posts under the pretext of freedom of speech and expression,” CM Naidu opined.
Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan too raised his voice on several occasions when he came to know about abusive, objectionable, and displeasing posts against him and his family members that came to his notice.
“Women and other family members of ruling party leaders are becoming soft targets for social media bullies. YSRC party social media activists are crossing their lines and reaching an extent of danger. I could not take it when I saw some ugly posts against my daughters on X and Facebook. Some people are misusing social media platforms and posting repulsive comments against women. Such anti-social elements should be dealt with seriously,” said Pawan Kalyan.
Of the total abusive posts in social media platforms posted by YSRCP activists and sympathisers, more than 80 percent of them are targeting Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, TDP MLA and actor N Balakrishna’s wife Vasundhara, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s wife, K Pawan Kalyan's daughters, YS Sharmila and her mother, YS Vijayamma, TDP women leaders and some individuals, CID officials observed.
On the other hand, YSRCP chief Jagan came down heavily on the ruling TDP for targeting their social media activists with harassment, illegal detentions, and threats for highlighting their shortcomings and their failure to implement the election promises. YSRCP party leaders are alleging that more than 650 notices were served to its party activists, filed 147 cases, and arrested 49 people over social media posts in the past one week.
