Will Strip, Thrash, Parade People Abusing Me: CM

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy today issued a stern warning regarding the misuse of social media platforms, and said that strict action would be taken against those who crossed ethical boundaries.

During a two-hour and 25-minute address in the Assembly in response to the Governor's address, the Chief Minister expressed deep concern over the increasing instances of abusive language and harmful behaviour on the social media.

Reddy spoke about the alarming trend of individuals making inappropriate comments about family members and children without restraint. Specifically referring to the arrests of two women who run a YouTube channel that posted a video of a farmer vulgarly abusing him and his family, he said that he would strip, thrash and publicly parade people abusing his family members or him.

"Would you tolerate such posts about your own mother or sister? If such behaviour continues, it will hinder everyone's freedom, and the government will be compelled to take strict action," he said.

The Chief Minister described the "culture" on social media of abusing people as "poisonous", and called for a comprehensive discussion on implementing regulations to curb reckless behaviour. He said that self-regulation and constitutional regulation to maintain societal harmony were important.

Revanth Reddy also spoke about the broader implications of misinformation on social media, and said that such misinformation would create chaos in society. He stressed the need to strengthen the cyber security system to combat the spread of fake news and other offenses.

Addressing the opposition, particularly former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Reddy urged leaders to educate their supporters about responsible online conduct. He cautioned that if the boundaries were crossed, the government was prepared to amend laws to address the issue effectively.

In a related development, the Chief Minister instructed law enforcement agencies to act firmly against those who broke the law, regardless of their political influence. He said that protocols did not apply to criminals and that strict action should be taken against land grabbers, drug offenders and economic criminals.