New Delhi: The Telangana police have invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the social media handle TeluguScribe, prompting allegations of state overreach and the suppression of political dissent.The State Intelligence Department issued a legal notice to X Corp in Texas, seeking the account registration information, usage logs and activity details of the handle @TeluguScribe. The handle is widely recognised for amplifying the narratives of the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), frequently platforming protests by leaders like Harish Rao and highlighting civic failures to corner the ruling Congress party.The notice, dated April 18, was issued by R. Bhaaskaran, deputy inspector general of police with the Intelligence Department. The police submitted the request under Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and Section 43F of the UAPA, an anti-terror statute.Section 94 pertains to summons to produce documents and electronic communications, and Section 43F relates to furnishing information to the police in UAPA cases.According to the notice, the police allege the handle uses “highly objectionable and filthy language along with morphed videos and photos” to defame the public and undermine the dignity of public figures. The state argues the content has the potential to incite hatred and public unrest.The invocation of the UAPA marks an escalation by the state. TeluguScribe alleged that the Congress government lodged nearly 70 FIRs against it over the past two and a half years. According to reports, some of these invoke provisions of the BNS and the Information Technology Act for allegedly promoting enmity, inciting public mischief and publishing obscene content.By invoking an anti-terror statute and demanding data logs directly from X, the police are ostensibly attempting to unmask the handle’s operators.Pushback from handleTeluguScribe issued a statement on Thursday (April 23) condemning the police action. The handle noticeably avoided using the word “independent” to describe its journalism, characterising its work instead as “pro-people coverage” and “the people’s voice”.“We are not terrorists, Revanth Reddy Garu,” it posted on X. “We at TeluguScribe are shocked and appalled that the Telangana Police are seeking information about our handle under the ‘Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act’, which is a law primarily brought in to deal with terrorism and activities that threaten the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.”TeluguScribe stated that the move was a blatant abuse of power and alleged the state Congress government was trampling on freedom of speech.“While Rahul Gandhi gives sermons about constitutional rule, carrying a copy of the Indian Constitution, the Telangana Congress government led by Revanth Reddy is trampling on basic rights like freedom of speech,” the statement read. “This is nothing but bringing back Indira Gandhi’s Emergency era.”Widespread condemnationThe police action has drawn sharp criticism from journalists and civil rights groups. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) condemned the move as an “ex-facie illegal abuse of an anti-terror statute”.“The UAPA was enacted to address threats to the sovereignty and integrity of India and not to police political commentary or journalism critical of state governments,” the IFF wrote on X.“Using the UAPA to demand subscriber information about a handle engaged in lawful public interest reporting (even if alleged, or demonstrably biased, or worse, even false) is a grave overreach that weaponises extraordinary criminal law to chill constitutionally protected speech under Article 19(1)(a).”Anusha Ravi Sood, editor at South First, who previously highlighted TeluguScribe’s dissemination of an allegedly doctored audio clip purportedly featuring Karnataka energy minister K.J. George also criticised the state’s use of the UAPA. In that previous instance, an FIR was registered against TeluguScribe under the IT Act for misinformation involving AI-generated audio, and the tweet was subsequently deleted.“The Congress government in Telangana isn’t just borrowing from the BJP playbook of misusing UAPA to target journalists or media platforms, but is shaming its own leaders who claim to question stifling of democratic rights,” Sood wrote on X. “The platform in question is critical of the Congress government in Telangana, but does that justify invoking the UAPA?”‘Disregard for democracy’Y. Krishna Jyothi, a senior independent journalist from Hyderabad, in a detailed conversation with The Wire, said that while the handle has political affiliations, the state’s actions reflect a disregard for democracy.“I’m amazed by how our political leaders, across party lines, love to trample the freedom of speech, dissent and press freedom — perhaps the only thing they all agree on,” Jyothi said.“It’s beyond doubt that the UAPA is being shamelessly misused and abused by the ruling parties over the years to muzzle alternative voices, especially since the Indian legacy media has witnessed a major political and corporate takeover. But the rise in number of cases is truly worrisome.”Addressing the specifics of the TeluguScribe case, Jyothi noted that the handle has successfully combated misinformation, despite its partisan leanings.“In this case, despite its political affiliation, TeluguScribe has created a niche for itself on social media,” Jyothi stated.“I strongly object to sensationalism in journalism through filthy language and objectionable content, but truth be told, TeluguScribe has been successfully combating misinformation while exposing the truth. The previous cases filed against the journalists working for the organisation are one thing, but the Revanth Reddy government went overboard this time by [invoking] UAPA against the organisation.”She further criticised the ambiguity of the police notice.“This only reflects the Telangana government’s utter disregard for democracy and journalism, and underlines its growing fascist mentality,” she added.“Moreover, the [DIG] order is pretty vague, by not mentioning the particulars like the tweets which the Telangana government found ‘objectionable’, ‘derogatory’ and that which would ‘incite hatred and violence’. Given the way how the UAPA works — sans accountability on the part of the police and the government — it’s clear that the ruling Congress party in Telangana wants to punish the journalists for doing their job. Ironically, on several occasions, the very government has assured to do everything towards the welfare of the journalists.”When questioned about the contrast between the state government’s actions and the national messaging of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Jyothi pointed to past controversies.“The irony has been evident on several occasions, like the HCU [University of Hyderabad] row,” she stated.“Clearly, the state Congress government is working with only real estate as its core agenda while conveniently neglecting other burning issues like unemployment, deflation, welfare, etc.”She noted that the previous BRS administration had also utilised the anti-terror law against dissenting voices.“This is what the BRS government did when it filed UAPA against activists and youth leaders,” Jyothi said. “There was a huge backlash then. But now, the journalists are already divided over housing, which the Supreme Court denied them outright [within the GHMC limits]. Hence, like always, independent journalists will have to fend for themselves. Let’s see how the journalist unions and related organisations will react.”Summarising her concerns over legislative overreach, Jyothi cautioned the ruling dispensation.“The UAPA, the DPDP Act, the Broadcasting Bill, and the IT Amendment Rules are all aimed at giving unlimited power to the state and trampling the alternative voices and dissent,” she observed. “The people in Telangana didn’t vote for dictatorship. I hope the government is well aware of this.”