Andhra Police Arrest YouTubers as Vice Minister Announces Social Media Oversight Team

Police in Andhra Pradesh arrested two YouTubers earlier in July who are accused of making critical comments against state Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. The arrests come amid growing concerns over online censorship in the state.

Among those arrested were B. Joseph, known for his YouTube channel Prashna, and journalist K. Venkatrami Reddy (KVR) of Myra Media. Joseph faces charges including inciting religious enmity, insult, defamation, and organized crime. He was later released on bail but immediately rearrested in a separate case.

KVR is charged with offenses including endangering India's sovereignty, unity, and integrity, making prejudicial imputations against national integration, and transmitting sexually explicit material. He had previously been booked for comments made against Chief Minister Naidu.

Following the arrests, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan announced that the state government will establish a special team to monitor the misuse of social media. The team will investigate complaints from citizens and ensure legal action is taken. Kalyan emphasized that actions such as harassment, false propaganda, and threats do not fall under freedom of expression.

In recent months, Andhra Pradesh has seen several instances of authorities attempting to restrict online content. MediaNama has previously reported on the blocking of political pages and the detention of journalists, raising concerns about the state of free speech in the region.