- YSR Congress will approach the Centre over Andhra Police's use of FBI name in its own takedown request
- Andhra Police's takedown request on X was initially identified as from the FBI by the platform
- X later clarified the request came from Guntur Police's official government email, not FBI
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has said it will approach the Centre over the use of the name of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a social media content takedown request allegedly submitted by the Andhra Pradesh Police.
The party has alleged that a request to X by the Andhra Pradesh Police, concerning posts related to an incident in Guntur, was identified with "FBI" in the organisation field. It said it will take the matter to the Ministry of External Affairs and other central agencies.
Party chief and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy said that the YSR Congress would seek clarification from central authorities on the circumstances surrounding the reference.
According to him, X initially notified users that the request had come from the "FBI". However, the platform later clarified that the request was submitted using an official Guntur Urban Police government email address and was not sent by the US agency. The platform said the reference to "FBI" resulted from information entered in the request.
A senior Guntur police official in Amaravati accepted that the reference was a "clerical error" and an "inadvertent mistake", maintaining that there was no intention to misrepresent the identity of Andhra Pradesh Police.
The YSR Congress demanded that the Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police explain who authorised the request, the legal basis for it, the FIR numbers and sections invoked, the posts allegedly violating the law, and whether any court had directed their removal.
The party has alleged that the episode raised concerns over freedom of expression and the treatment of journalists, Opposition leaders and social-media users critical of the government.
"Red Book Governance" goes global; now featuring the Andhra Pradesh Police posing as the FBI! Fake identity, real threat to democracy. Mr. Chandrababu Naidu Garu, is this policing, or state-sponsored deception aimed at politically motivated harassment," Reddy asked, calling the episode "the most deplorable act that tarnishes the reputation" of the state and country.
''Who ordered this takedown request? Why was the FBI's identity misused? Was it a deliberate attempt to mislead X and silence voices questioning your government on, '' he asked the government.
