Andhra Pradesh: 86 FIRs, 171 notices, YSRCP alleges crackdown on its social media supporters
YSRCP social media activists’ arrested.
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy held a press conference on Wednesday, 6 November, to raise concerns about the detention of social media activists of the YSRCP.
“This abuse of police power is unpardonable. It is a violation of fundamental rights and a direct assault on the Constitution,” he stated.
He held the press conference after numerous FIRs were allegedly filed across Andhra Pradesh against social media users. Recently, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also took issue with YSRCP’s proponents’ misuse of social media.
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A growing heap of FIRs
According to the YSRCP, over 86 “false” cases have been filed against affiliated social media activists in the last three days. Of the cases, the maximum number was registered in the NTR districts (61 FIRs), while other districts like YSR Kadapa, Kurnool, Guntur, Nellore, and Srikakulam have cases in the single digits.
South First was able to access 13 FIRs filed across Palnadu, Guntur, NTR, Tirupati and Prakasam districts.
The police filed most FIRs against social media users under:
- BNS 3(5): Furthering a crime with ill-intention
- BNS 49: Punishment for abetting a crime
- BNS 61(2): Punishment for being party to a criminal conspiracy
- BNS 79: Insult to the modesty of a woman
- BNS 103: Punishment for murder
- BNS 196: Promoting enmity between different groups
- BNS 298: Insult to religion
- BNS 299: Deliberately outraging religious feelings
- BNS 352: Intentional insult to breach peace
- BNS 353: Public mischief
- BNS 356: Punishment for defamation
- ITA 66: Computer-related offences
- ITA 67: Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material
Alok (name changed), a student activist from the Prakasam district, was among many social media users detained.
“The police detained me at about half past five in the morning. I was on the way to the temple with two other friends. They showed me a notice including the ‘offensive’ post I made and took me to the Markapuram Police Station,” he said.
His “offensive post” was a question regarding the government’s spending on the recent flood relief. “The police informed me that they followed me for three days. They kept me at the station till 12.30 am on 6 November,” he said, adding that they treated him well.
Notably, Kakani Govardhan Reddy former state agriculture minister faced two charges for allegedly forwarding a WhatsApp message critical of the TDP in the Nellore district.
171 summons in Pendyala
On 5 November, the Kanchikacherla Police Station issued notices to members of a WhatsApp group called “Pendyala MPP Group.” “On receipt of this notice, you are hereby directed to appear before the undersigned IO [Investigation Officer] to ascertain the well-known facts in the above-mentioned case,” the notice read.
It noted that such notices presented a worrying trend of police overreach.
Speaking to South First, the Kanchikacherla Sub Inspector (SI) revealed that these summons notices were part of a routine investigation.
“Sheik Shabeer, a YSRCP member, had made numerous inappropriate posts on the “Pendyala MPP Group” on WhatsApp,” he revealed. He added that the notices didn’t imply that they were in trouble.
“Because they are a part of the group, or they interacted with the post, they are summoned to testify as witnesses,” he informed, alleviating fears that the members were all in trouble.
Additionally, the SI revealed that Sheik Shabeer was already facing a case for assaulting a Jana Sena Party member in October.
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Kanchikacherla Police Station summoned members of the Pendyala MPP Group on WhatsApp
A growing trend of intolerance?
The notices to the villagers of Pendyala drew harsh criticism from the YSRCP. On 6 November, the party termed it “new heights of harassment towards YSRCP social media activists”.
“This action is not only shocking but also unprecedented in the history of Andhra Pradesh,” the statement held.
Additionally, it deemed the notices a “blatant infringement on the rights of citizens to communicate and participate in social and community discussions.”
“I am seeing a dangerous trend in society, particularly in politics where people are becoming intolerant and vengeful towards criticism and rival views,” Telangana High Court advocate Srikanth Chintala observed.
“Political parties in power are abusing the process of law by foisting criminal cases against their political rivals. No political party appears to be an exception,” he opined.
He explained that nobody could be punished for merely expressing their views with strongly worded language or strongly projected graphics unless obscene. “There shall be some consequences of the alleged offensive content, when it actually disrupts the society, not just offending some weak-minded persons,” he further explained.
He noted that even the Supreme Court struck down numerous cases in a similar vein, as abuses of power. “If every view expressed, however strongly worded passages it may have, are subject to criminal trails, then it indicates that democracy & free speech is in danger,” he held
South First contacted the cybercrime police in the NTR district but was unavailable to get a comment.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
