BRS slams Congress govt over Krishank’s arrest, UAPA case against digital media

BRS leaders have accused the Congress government of misusing police machinery and UAPA to target opposition voices and media outlets. They criticised the arrest of Manne Krishank and demanded accountability, warning against the misuse of stringent laws

Hyderabad: The BRS slammed the Congress government for misusing police machinery and deploying anti-terror laws to silence dissent. The party leaders condemned the arrest of party social media coordinator Manne Krishank and the filing of UAPA cases against digital media outlet TeluguScribe.

Addressing a press meet, BRS general secretary and former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar termed Krishank’s arrest by Kukatpally police as illegal and accused the government of targeting opposition voices. He alleged that Krishank and his family were also facing coordinated social media attacks from the Congress, but no action was initiated despite complaints.

---

He raised serious concerns over the use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the digital media outlet TeluguScribe. He said invoking an anti-terror law against a media organisation was a dangerous overreach and a threat to democracy.

Praveen Kumar alleged that the platform had exposed irregularities in the government, and the response was to file cases and issue notices through the Counter-Intelligence (CI) Cell. “UAPA is meant for terrorism cases. Using it against journalists and digital platforms cannot be justified,” he said.

The BRS leader also accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of misusing his position as Home Minister and compromising sensitive information related to intelligence agencies like the CI Cell, which poses a threat to the officers concerned. He demanded the Chief Minister’s resignation over the issue.

Citing multiple cases against opposition leaders, including Krishank and others, Praveen Kumar alleged a pattern of intimidation. He also questioned the lack of action in cases involving alleged threats and abusive remarks by the ruling party leaders against opposition leaders and government officials. He urged police officials to act within the law and warned against the indiscriminate use of stringent laws against citizens and journalists.

Following his arrest, BRS leader Krishank was produced before the magistrate at Kukatpally court on Friday. He was sent to judicial remand and shifted to Sangareddy prison.

Human rights organisation Amnesty India also raised concern over the issue, stating that using an anti-terror law like UAPA to seek account details of a social media handle TeluguScribe for being critical of the government, will set a dangerous precedent. “This is not law enforcement; it’s legal overreach with a chilling effect on dissents,” a statement said.