Telangana cops get tough with social media abusers, ‘leave’ politicians untouched

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, August 18

Telangana Police have shown extreme sensitivity in nabbing anyone trying to spread messages that cause social unrest or breed communal hatred.

The state police chief as well as Hyderabad police commissioners have issued a warning saying that the social media posts are being closely monitored and strict action will be taken against anyone trying to send mischievous posts.

Strict action has been taken against commoners, but the politically important continue to evade police action. The Hyderabad Police arrested three persons who allegedly made and circulated videos with communal content on social media platforms. They have been identified as Mohd Asif of Rein Bazaar, Kallu Singh and Ram Sanketh of Begum Bazaar.

At the same time, the police have also arrested a 27-year-old migrant worker for allegedly spreading fake news about the health of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on social media. Panyala Raju, is a native of Jagityal district of Telangana, posted false information in June while working in Saudi Arabia and a lookout notice was issued for him that led to his arrest at Mumbai airport upon his arrival recently.

But when it comes to VIPs, such action is wanting. The Telangana police have failed to act against Raja Singh, the lone BJP MLA from Telangana who has time and again posted controversial material on social media, but says he “works in the national interest”. He had even refused to take oath as an MLA under a pro tem speaker, who represented the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen

And now Raja Singh, who represents a Hindu dominated Goshamahal assembly constituency in Hyderabad, has denied posting any communal material on Facebook saying his account had been “hacked and blocked” in 2018. He has accused the state police of not taking action in the matter.

He has been under the lens after the US newspaper Wall Street Journal had cited interviews with unnamed Facebook insiders to claim one of its senior India policy executives intervened in internal communication to stop a permanent ban on a BJP MLA from Telangana after he allegedly made communally charged posts.

Singh is known for his pro-Hindutva views, but in a video released by him, he said, “I am being projected in such a way that I am the most dangerous in the entire world (like) he (Singh) says something on social media, then something or the other happens. I would like to tell the media that I am a person who works in the national interest. Cite an example where I could be blamed for any social strife.”

He has said there were many social media accounts across the country opened by unknown people in his name and it was not possible for him to stop all those people. He said he has never posted any inflammatory speeches on his official social media accounts, alleging there were many in the country who made inflammatory speeches, including AIMIM leaders in Telangana, who he said are never questioned by anyone.