Andhra, Telangana see a return of cases against rival parties over social media posts

On Friday, the constabulary arrested Kontham Dileep, the erstwhile integer media caput of the Telangana authorities during the BRS authorities betwixt 2014 and 2023, connected charges of disseminating “misinformation” connected societal media. His apprehension came days aft helium had claimed connected societal media that the Telangana authorities had arrested scores of BRS societal media activists for “exposing the misdeeds” of those successful power. Dileep was fto disconnected aft a section tribunal refused to perceive the police’s custody plea.

Dileep’s apprehension came adjacent connected the heels of the constabulary successful neighbouring Andhra issuing 680 notices, registering 147 cases and arresting 49 persons, immoderate of them known to tally pro-YSRCP handles connected societal media, for allegedly posting “derogatory content” connected women leaders of the TDP.

While Opposition parties successful some states are up successful arms and assertion their societal media activities are being “closely watched” by the government, the ruling parties emphasise that lone those posting “derogatory and inciting content” are facing action. But what is wide is that, similar their predecessors, Revanth and Naidu person present figured retired the bladed enactment betwixt state of code and expression, and “the misuse of societal media to origin harm”.

“No 1 who has questioned the authorities has faced action. Even during the caller floods successful the state, galore societal media handles questioned the government, but faced nary action. We person lone booked those who maltreatment and marque derogatory comments. Those booked person utilized morphed images and posted derogatory contented against (Minister) Nara Lokesh’s wife, Brahmani. Moreover, nether the YSRCP regime, arsenic galore arsenic 1,047 cases were registered. People were booked for sharing Facebook posts and galore TDP activists were harassed connected mendacious charges. With what motivation close is the YSRCP questioning us?” TDP nationalist spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari told The Indian Express.

Claiming the arrests to beryllium “unconstitutional and “mala fide”, YSRCP leaders, including Tirupati MP M Gurumoorthy, erstwhile MLA Bhumana Karunakara Reddy and erstwhile curate Roja, filed counter-cases Tuesday successful Tirupati against TDP societal media activists for showing their enactment main and erstwhile CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy successful mediocre light.

Additionally, the Andhra High Court past week sought a study from the constabulary connected the whereabouts of 7 arrested YSRCP activists aft their families moved tribunal claiming the activists were being held for three-four days without being presented successful court. A fewer YSRCP leaders person alleged that their complaints are not being entertained by the police.

In Telangana, defending the pro-BRS societal media handles and Dileep, BRS moving president K T Rama Rao said they were lone “bringing retired the scams” of the Revanth authorities adjacent arsenic the Congress accused him of “creating rift successful nine by pitting 1 caste against another”.

While the BRS and YSRCP present outcry foul, they were astatine the receiving extremity of disapproval for “stifling escaped speech” during their heydays. The BRS, particularly during its 2nd word betwixt 2018 and 2023, faced flak for trying to “target” governmental opponents aft it grilled the Congress’s run manager Sunil Kanugolu portion accusing him of defaming the government.

The BRS besides faced allegations of “harassing journalists” whose sum was “unfavourable” during the politically important 2022 Huzurabad bypolls.

On the different hand, Jagan, who successful July held a “photo exhibition” successful Delhi to showcase the TDP government’s “revenge politics” and claimed 30 murders and implicit 300 attempts to execution took spot since Naidu assumed powerfulness successful June, has been accused of “unleashing the state’s powerfulness to stifle voices of dissent” portion helium was CM. One of the astir high-profile cases was of writer Anku Babu, who was arrested by the constabulary for simply sharing a post, which was captious of the YSRCP regime, connected WhatsApp.

In 2020, 66-year-old P Ranganakayamma was arrested by the Guntur CID for posing 20 questions to the Jagan authorities successful a Facebook station pursuing a state leak astatine L G Polymers successful Visakhapatnam.

However divided they whitethorn beryllium connected the crushed arsenic good arsenic connected societal media, the leaders unite successful saying that thing overmuch comes retired of the cases filed against the societal media activists of rival parties. “The lawsuit (against Kanugolu) has not gone anyplace arsenic determination is nary grounds that the Congress resorted to immoderate ‘mischief’,” a Congress person said.

Elaborating, a TDP person successful Vijayawada claimed radical booked successful specified cases mostly unafraid bail instantly oregon aft 14 days. “Following that, the lawsuit drags on. Sometimes, chargesheets are filed. Most radical enactment retired connected bail and the lawsuit hardly reaches its logical conclusion, but erstwhile it is precocious profile,” the person said.

The tell-tale motion that the warfare of words betwixt governmental rivals is present to enactment are the announcements by Andhra and Telangana governments of peculiar constabulary cells to show societal media content.