Hyderabad: The TRS has warned that those circulating Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s distorted comments and morphed videos on social media will face legal action. TRS MLC Karne Prabhakar said that the Constitution guarantees free speech but one cannot distort facts and misuse social media.
“Those who misuse social media will attract Cyber Crime Section 66 A. T-Advocates have already requested police to take action,” Mr Prabhakar said here on Monday.
He said that the CM, while laying the foundation stone of the Munugode-Cherlagudem irrigation project, had promised that one member of every displaced family would be given a job, but a morphed video was being circulated which makes it appear as if the CM promised a job for one person in every household in the state.
“This is not true at all,” the MLC said, adding: “Using cut and paste method, the comments are being generalised for the state and spread on social media. People should note that Cyber Act provides for 3 years imprisonment for defamation through social media.”
Mr Prabhakar requested the police to keep an eye over the distorted campaign on social media in the name of Telangana Yuvajana Congress. “If this trend is not stopped, action has to be taken. People using social media should stop distorting facts,” he said. Meanwhile, the TS TD took exception to veiled threat by TRS government against social media users.
Referring to threats by TRS leaders of invoking Cyber Acts against promoters of the morphed video, TD spokesman Nannuri Narsireddy alleged that TRS government which had in the past tried to suppress media, was now targeting social media too.
“TRS leaders’ threat of taking action under cyber crimes indicates the conspiracy to silence critics. Police can book cases against offenders. But in the name of morphed video, they cannot suppress critics of government,” Mr Narsireddy said.
He said the TD was ready to expose the doubletalk by Chief Minister on several issues.
“We are ready to show such videos. Let the TRS leaders fix the time and place. Is government ready to book cheating case against the Chief Minister? If the government tries to suppress people’s voice, it will get a fitting reply,” he said.
