In what looked inevitable from the gay abandon with which scores of people had targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in objectionable language, the cybercrime police of Hyderabad have registered cases against several Facebook and Instagram accounts and also Meta India head Arun Srinivas.
The cases have been registered with the allegation that those social media accounts used morphed and AI-generated posts targeting Modi and circulated them on social media during the recent agitations led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) seeking Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation following the NEET UG question paper leak in May.
Also read: Cops can’t lathicharge people protesting peacefully, says Supreme Court; may fix police guidelines
Police registered the cases after complaints were filed by a businessman, S. Aravind Reddy, and a Telangana BJP activist, T. Saikiran Goud. They both alleged that while browsing Instagram they came across several morphed and digitally manipulated videos and photos portraying PM Narendra Modi in an obscene, derogatory and misleading manner. No one has been arrested so far.
Also on the police radar are many posts and comments on social media linked to the CJP-led student protests that, according to the complainants, contained abusive and profane content. The cybercrime police unit of Hyderabad has launched a probe to identify those responsible for creating and circulating the material on social media.
Those posts were also accompanied by comments containing abusive and indecent language directed at the PM and other figures in constitutional positions, the complaints alleged. The material posted on social media by those accounts seemed to have been digitally altered or generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and was widely circulated on social media platforms.
Besides being downright indecent for public consumption, the social media content by those accounts had the potential to spread misinformation and incite public unrest, the two complainants alleged.
Also read: 29 years ago, Dharmendra Pradhan protested against a paper leak in Odisha, got beaten up by police
The criminal charges that are applicable in this case include outraging public decency, defaming public figures, disturbing public order and promoting hostility among different sections of society, said police officials.
A number of young people were seen and heard making indecent gestures and using abusive language against PM Narendra Modi and other figures occupying constitutional positions in several social media posts.
Also read: HUMOUR IN DAILY LIFE | The Great Family WhatsApp Investigation
