Home min hints at law to curb misinformation on social media

Vijayawada: Home and disaster management minister Vangalapudi Anitha announced that the government will take strict action against those who spread false information on social media platforms and create a sense of insecurity among public. She said that a special law to address this issue will be introduced in the upcoming Assembly session.

Speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat, minister Anitha criticised what she called the opposition’s ‘poisonous’ social media campaign. ”Unable to tolerate the development and welfare schemes of the coalition government, they are portraying facts as falsehoods, misleading the public, and creating a sense of insecurity,” she said.

The minister said the government will set up a special fact-finding committee to regularly inform the public about the truth. She also warned against false reports, such as those claiming that Amaravati is submerged or that the gates of the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada are not working. She stated that the government would effectively counter such misinformation and take legal action against those responsible.

She accused the opposition of being unable to handle the success of the coalition government’s ‘Super Six’ guarantees, leading them to resort to a social media misinformation campaign. She called it a ‘hereditary problem’ for the opposition party.

The home minister criticised the opposition for trying to tarnish Andhra Pradesh’s brand image with false propaganda on social media, especially since the state’s brand is synonymous with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. She reminded the public of the time when former MP Raghu Ramakrishna Raju faced charges, suggesting that similar sedition cases should be filed against those spreading falsehoods today.

Anitha said that the Chief Minister is well aware of how to curb anti-social elements and would be ”tough” on them. ”There will be no compromise on law and order,” she asserted.

She also addressed the recent parole case of an individual named Srikanth, who is serving a life sentence. ”We have cancelled his parole and sent him back to jail,” she said. She added that a full investigation is underway to find out who was behind his parole and that action would be taken against anyone involved, including police officers. She also mentioned that a woman named Aruna, who identified herself as the secretary of the Disha Foundation, had called the home minister’s office, and an investigation into her and her associates is also in progress.