New Delhi: The Delhi Police have written to the social media giant X to delete or remove posts and videos from the platform which target government heads, PTI has reported.An Indian Express report says that police have filed an FIR against posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.While it is not clear if the notice to X is part of the same FIR, ANI has tweeted that the action is in connection with a police complaint that alleges that “derogatory, malicious and defamatory content is being circulated on social media platform targeting constitutional heads.”Police have also asked for details of the account holders from X, including login and logout details of accounts sharing such content, date and time stamps of the posts online, full names, addresses, contact details and email IDs of the users.X has also been requested to preserve details of such posts and videos for future investigations and provide a certificate under Section 63(4) of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its leaders have been on the backfoot since a youth movement led to the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25. Throughout the movement, Gen Z protesters have responded to the Cockroach Janata Party’s call to agitate against the NEET paper leaks, with broader critiques of the Modi government. On July 20, a march to the parliament was brutally thwarted by police who lathicharged on peaceful protesters, fired tear gas, shot pellet guns and wielded shock batons.In what is now a flagrant disservice to the right to the freedom of expression, the Delhi Police, according to PTI, has said that its social media monitoring team has been continuously scanning online platforms to identify content it deems is objectionable and issuing notices to intermediary platforms for their removal.Indian Express reports that the police have also filed a first information report against “objectionable and defamatory” social media posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The case invokes charges of criminal intimidation, public mischief, and defamation. It has been lodged at the Special Cell IFSO (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations) unit.On July 27, The Wire had noted how multiple news outlets have reported that the Delhi Police has asked social media platforms to remove posts and videos targeting Modi, which it deems objectionable and which were shared during the youth movement.CJP reactsThe Cockroach Janata Party’s account has asked since when elected representatives are above questioning. It has tweeted:“Delhi Police is frantically issuing takedown notices and filing FIRs to scrub social media of posts criticizing the Prime Minister during the recent protests, giving credence to the slogan “Jab jab Modi darta hai..”“But since when is an elected representative above questioning? In a functioning democracy, citizens have every right to demand answers and accountability from their PM. By treating online criticism as a criminal offense and a threat to “public order”, the state machinery is sending a chilling message: the Prime Minister is beyond the reach of public scrutiny.“Why can’t ordinary people on social media ask questions to the very man they elected to serve them? Does the Delhi Police genuinely believe he is “non-biological” and therefore immune to the questions and frustrations of mere mortals?”