The YSR Congress Party has requested the Centre to initiate an independent investigation into the alleged misuse of legal provisions to censor social media content critical of the Andhra Pradesh government. A delegation of YSRCP Members of Parliament, led by Y.V. Subba Reddy, met with Union Ministers Prahlad Joshi and Ashwini Vaishnaw to present their concerns at Parliament House. The delegation specifically urged for an inquiry into the compliance with legal procedures under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 regarding the removal of social media content.
The MPs highlighted that the Andhra Pradesh CID had reportedly issued legal requests to various platforms, targeting content shared by opposition leaders, journalists, political activists, and ordinary citizens. These requests allegedly encompassed over 770 social media posts from more than 150 accounts. Notably, the accounts under scrutiny included those of the Leader of the Opposition, journalists, political activists, and numerous citizens. The delegation emphasized that if these allegations are substantiated, they could raise significant constitutional issues concerning freedom of speech, potential misuse of criminal statutes, hindrance to democratic discourse, and the necessity for enhanced transparency in government interactions with intermediary platforms.
Emphasizing the importance of safeguarding free expression and preventing the misuse of legal frameworks to stifle dissent or target political adversaries, the YSRCP MPs urged the Union government to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the removal requests. They stressed the need to ensure strict adherence to statutory procedures outlined in the Information Technology Act and the IT Rules, 2021, prevent selective application of legal powers against opposition figures or citizens, and enhance the transparency and accountability of government requests to social media platforms.
