Andhra Pradesh cracks down on social media posts targeting politicians

The Andhra Pradesh government, under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, has launched a comprehensive crackdown on social media posts, with the state police registering 100 cases, arresting 39 individuals, and issuing 67 notices. These actions are centred around posts that authorities claim could incite communal tensions. 

According to reports, the focus has primarily been on posts targeting Naidu's family, including his wife Bhuvaneshwari and his son Lokesh's wife Brahmini. Other political figures and their families have also been targeted, including Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan's daughters and state Congress leader Y. S. Sharmila.

The opposition, led by the Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), alleges that its activists have been disproportionately affected. Reports suggest that 650 notices have been served to YSRCP members, 147 cases filed, and 49 arrests made within just a week.

In another development, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has been summoned by Andhra Pradesh police over morphed images he posted online of CM Naidu and Deputy CM Kalyan. The case was filed after a local resident, Ramalingam, lodged a complaint accusing Varma of posting content that disparages both leaders and their families.