VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to intensify crackdown on social media abuse, State police and special wings of the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (APCID) have formed special teams to identify defamatory posts and register complaints against people posting offensive content on social media platforms.
Besides YSRC’s social media activists, police have booked cases against members of the ruling TDP and JSP for posting abusive content against various political leaders and their families, and for disseminating unverified news pertaining to political developments.
According to sources, both law and order police in all 26 police units, along with APCID, have launched a special drive to identify malicious and abusive posts on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
They have reportedly found over 1,000 such handles through which derogatory posts were made against women, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan, HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh, family members of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and other political leaders.
It has been learnt that cyber crime police are keeping a watch on certain persons whose posts were found derogatory in nature and warned them of stringent action if they don’t restrain from such activities.
“More than 150 cases under various sections of the Information Technology Act have been registered this month so far. As many as 20 persons have been arrested for posting offensive content targeting certain people. The posts were vulgar, objectionable and can also create tension among groups, religions and between political parties. We are categorising the posts based on the content and filing cases accordingly,” said a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity.
He clarified that cases were also being registered against TDP and Jana Sena leaders.
“Notices under relevant sections were served on TDP and JSP social media activists, instructing them to appear before the investigation officers. Social media handles of ruling alliance leaders and their followers are being monitored,” the police officer explained.
On several occasions, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has raised concerns over the rising instances of social media abuse and underscored the need to enact a law for cracking down on the menace. He also directed TDP leaders and party’s social media activists not to cross the line by making abusive posts against family members of leaders.