Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Police, under the command of the Chandrababu Naidu-led National Democratic Alliance government in the state, is cracking down on several social media activists and sympathisers linked to the Opposition—Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party—for allegedly derogatory posts about the leaders of the ruling alliance and their families.
Former chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has called the action “an onslaught on democracy” and an attempt to “choke dissenting voices”. According to the YSRCP chief, 680 notices have been issued to his partymen and sympathisers across the state, with 147 cases registered and 49 arrests made over the last few days, as of 12 November.
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma was also handed a notice at his Hyderabad residence Wednesday, summoning him for enquiry on 19 November. The Prakasam district police has booked the director, acting on the complaint of a local Telugu Desam Party leader that Varma, while promoting his film ahead of the state assembly polls this year, had posted social media content tarnishing the reputation of Naidu, JanaSena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, Naidu’s son and TDP leader Nara Lokesh, and his wife Nara Brahmani.
Varma’s film Vyuham and its immediate sequel movie Shapatham were both embroiled in controversies because they were seen to be targeting Naidu, Lokesh and TDP, while attempting to elevate Jagan’s image in the run-up to polls.
“The 680-figure stated by the former CM, if at all correct, might be all kinds of notices issued by police, including those asking individuals/groups to appear as witnesses. As per our information, 67 notices were issued, under Section 41-A of Code of Criminal Procedure, in the past one week or so, and 39 arrests were made in severe or habitual offence cases,” a top officer at the Mangalagiri police headquarters told ThePrint.
On 5 November, in response to Deputy Chief Minister Kalyan’s remark that he might have to take the home portfolio if the police remains lethargic in dealing with crimes against women and the targeting of the leaders of the ruling alliance by YSRCP on social media, home minister Vangalapudi Anitha had announced that the department “is clearly instructed to act sternly against social media trolls, to bring such elements under control”.
“Cases should be filed against those posting abusive content on social media. There should be action,” Vangalapudi said at a press conference. She added that Kalyan’s anguish was understandable as she was also a victim of “social media vultures”.
“One sadist threatens to rape/abuse Kalyan’s daughters, one fellow talks vulgarly about Bhuvaneswari (CM Naidu’s wife), another one comments about Lokesh-Brahmani. Some have targeted me, the home minister, depriving us of peaceful sleep at night. This is not just one individual, but an en masse attack. Should we not act against such offenders?” Vangalapudi remarked, asking the YSRCP chief “to not misinterpret or misrepresent corrective action as an attack on freedom of speech”.
One of the first such YSRCP social media activists that the police chased is Varra Ravindra Reddy, who has been accused of posting and circulating vulgar remarks, especially during YSRCP regime and polls, on Naidu, Lokesh, Kalyan, Vangalapudi, Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief Y.S. Sharmila, and her cousin Dr Suneetha Narreddy.
Sharmila and Suneetha, Jagan’s sister and cousin, went against their CM brother during the polls, accusing him of siding with conspirators in the murder of Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, younger brother of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, in March 2019. Varra, who hails from Pulivendula, home to the YSR family, was Jagan’s wife Y.S. Bharathi’s personal assistant, and is reportedly close to YSRCP MP from Kadapa, Avinash Reddy.
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Naidu cracks the whip after Kalyan’s comments
The stern stance taken by the chief minister against the YSRCP-linked influencers—following Kalyan’s criticism and meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi—became evident, when his government transferred Superintendent of Police Harshavardhan Raju out of Kadapa to the headquarters. Naidu is in charge of the law and order portfolio.
Raju, a 2013 batch Indian Police Service officer, faced the government’s wrath as the police under his command had let off Varra with a CrPC Section 41-A notice after taking him into custody on the night of 5 November. Varra was, however, eventually arrested and was sent to remand upon being produced before a court in Kadapa Tuesday.
Inturi Ravi Kiran is another prominent social media influencer associated with YSRCP, who was arrested Sunday, a day after he was served notices under CrPC Section 41-A. Inturi, a political satirist who runs a social media account called “Political Punch”, is known for his unswervingly defamatory content against Naidu, Kalyan and others. He was previously arrested in April 2017 during Naidu’s previous term, too, for an offensive post.
Some YSRCP supporters facing action include those who posted purportedly offensive remarks against Naidu and Kalyan, in connection with the Tirupati laddu controversy in September.
However, YSRCP leaders and party mouthpiece Sakshi claim that many people, who are mere supporters or sympathisers of YSRCP and Jagan, were hounded by the police with notices for slamming the government policies online and posting innocuous remarks.
According to YSRCP functionaries, one Malaka Amarnath Reddy of Kadiri was booked and detained for posting a satirical take on the new liquor policy and alleged lack of funds for women’s or mothers’ aid.
“One Maddu Jaswanth of Vajrapukotturu was booked and troubled for posting about an old woman’s travail for her monthly welfare pension. Krishnaveni Paleti of Chilakaluripet was arrested for forwarding a video of TDP MLA Prathipati Pulla Rao’s men beating up a liquor trader demanding a share in a liquor shop,” a Sakshi report said.
The Wednesday edition of Sakshi also claimed that one Shaik Shabbir of Pendyala was detained by the police for two days for sharing WhatsApp posts appealing to people to not believe Naidu’s claims about the adulteration of ghee used to make Tirupati laddus.
Notices were served to all other 170 members of the WhatsApp group, the report said.
‘How is it a crime? Modi targeted & trolled every day’
Speaking to reporters Wednesday at Tadepalli, former chief minister Jagan alleged that people are being booked “for just questioning the government”.
“Social media has become the platform for millions of voices. Every party and leaders, like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have legions of followers. Congress and other party leaders regularly criticise Modi. Are they being put behind bars? Has it become an issue there? How does democracy survive, if parties and their supporters have to go through harassment, as we are witnessing in Andhra Pradesh?” he remarked.
“What is this government gaining by targeting these youths, spoiling their lives with cases and arrests? You should correct yourself, your governance and decisions, instead of troubling those who are questioning you on your unfulfilled election promises.”
When pointed out that his government too targeted some TDP men, and acted in such cases, Jagan said, “we did not take anyone into illegal detention, beat them up.”
Reacting to insinuations that social media trolling has become an “organised crime” at the behest of YSRCP leaders, Jagan said that “cheating voters with false (Super Six) promises is an organised crime” and that he would continue to post, along with his party legislators and leaders, on social media, questioning the Naidu led government’s fiascoes.
Challenging the Naidu administration to arrest him too, Jagan said that he would continue to protest and post on social media, along with his party legislators and leaders, exposing the CM’s lies.
Meanwhile, Jagan’s sister and Congress leader Sharmila came down heavily on him, accusing him of sponsoring a false social media abusive campaign against her.
“That he did not stop proves that he was behind it. Along with the poisonous snakes, the anaconda should also be arrested. YSRCP social media is akin to Satan’s Army,” Sharmila told media persons in Vijayawada Tuesday.
Amid the notices, cases and arrests of leaders and sympathisers, a YSRCP delegation, led by Rajya Sabha MP Y.V. Subba Reddy Tuesday submitted a memorandum to National Human Rights Commission’s acting chairperson, Vijaya Bharati Sayani, on “human rights violations in Andhra Pradesh”.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court Wednesday dismissed a petition challenging the ongoing cases against social media activists, refusing to intervene at the juncture. The court reportedly remarked that even some of the judges were targeted by social media trolls.
The court’s reference could be to the allegedly unsavoury remarks made on a few judges during the YSRCP regime, including when the high court had ordered the Jagan-led government in 2022 to continue the development of Amaravati capital city, which was stalled by him after coming to power in 2019.
A senior police officer told ThePrint that based on Varra’s confessions after his arrest and more investigation, they are probing the role of Sajjala Bhargava Reddy, YSRCP’s social media convenor and son of party’s general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, in allegedly pressuring many party members to post obscene and obnoxious content against political opponents.
“Our information is that the magnitude of hate in YSRCP’s social media posts against opposition parties, leaders, and the vulgarity—from body shaming to character assassination—shot up after Bhargava took charge. Such content written centrally was being passed down to social media handlers at district, mandal, town, ward, village level to be spread further,” the officer said.
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