Kishan Reddy accuses Telangana government of harassing officer over Meta notices

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy on Tuesday accused the Telangana government of harassing a senior police officer for issuing notices to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The minister's remarks came during a press conference in New Delhi.

The notices were reportedly issued by the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police based on a complaint filed by a party activist over offensive posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi that were circulated on the social media platforms. According to Mr. Reddy, the officer was transferred at the behest of the Congress party's top leadership.

"Transferring officials in Telangana without any wrongdoing on their part has become the norm. As many as 44 officer transfers have taken place in just two years, creating anxiety among officials, while others are being intimidated," the Union Minister alleged.

Mr. Reddy also made allegations against former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, claiming that he had misused his authority by tapping the phones of opposition leaders, media personnel, film actors and even members of his own family under the guise of investigating the 'Farmhouse Files' case. "Even KCR's own daughter has stated that her phone was tapped," he said.

In a comparison with Tamil Nadu, the Union Minister claimed that the TVK government, which he said was in power with Congress support, had taken action against an opposition leader. He questioned what he described as the double standards in objecting to action being taken over comments made against Mr. Modi.

Highlighting the rise in cybercrime cases in Telangana, Mr. Reddy said the number of cases increased from 5,024 in 2020 to 27,230 in 2024, a rise of about 440%. "With such a high volume of cybercrime cases, why does Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy become so agitated when a single case is registered concerning Mr. Modi?" he asked.

The Union Minister said that just as the Chief Minister had expressed hurt over remarks made against him and his family, the BJP too was upset by comments made against Mr. Modi and his mother. That, he said, was the reason for filing the complaint.

"No social media platform or multinational company is above the Indian Constitution. If a company acts irresponsibly by spreading fabricated information, action must be taken against it, regardless of how big it is," he asserted.

The Telangana government has not yet responded to the allegations. The developments come amid an ongoing political debate over the regulation of social media content and the actions taken by state authorities in response to complaints.