Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh high court on Friday stated that social media is becoming a tool for political vengeance. Observing that the petitioners who approached the court for anticipatory bail crossed the limits, the high court said freedom of speech and expression does not mean posting in a way that abuses others and attacks their personal dignity.
The court also asked the state govt whether it has framed any guidelines to prevent abusive postings on social media and if any suggestions were made to the hosting platforms.
Former social media in-charge of YSRCP, Sajjala Bhargav Reddy, and others, against whom cases were registered for posting abusive comments on chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, deputy chief minister K Pawan Kalyan, and their family members, moved the high court seeking anticipatory bail. They argued that section 111 of BNS would not apply to the case. Arguing on behalf of the police, public prosecutor Menda Lakshmi Narayana said Bhargav Reddy played a key role in the abusive postings as the convenor of YSRCP‘s social media wing.
“The accused deposed that they made the abusive postings upon the suggestion of Bhargav Reddy. To create morphed photos of political opponents and make obscene comments, they employed 400 persons. The messages created by them were later distributed to district-level convenors who maintain several groups with 200 to 250 members in each group,” Lakshmi Narayana told the court.
The public prosecutor further stated that all members in the groups were paid money for posting abusive and obscene content targeting political opponents. “Every section of the society was a victim of these trolls, and they did not even spare God from trolling. As the petitioners resorted to these acts with collective motive and planning, it comes under organised crime under section 111 of BNS,” he argued.
During the course of the hearing, Justice N Vijay observed that social media platforms are profiting from the conflicts between political parties and the online confrontation of their followers. He suggested the police focus on deep fake photos as it has become extremely difficult to distinguish between real and deep fake photos.
Observing that there is no hesitation in saying that the petitioners crossed their limits, Justice Vijay asked the state govt to submit a report on steps taken to contain abusive postings on social media and whether any suggestions or guidelines were issued to the hosting platforms.
Extending the earlier interim order granting protection from arrest to the petitioners, the HC posted the matter for further hearing to Feb 27.
