Hyderabad: The Telangana Police have invoked provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) while seeking user data from X (formerly Twitter) over a handle critical of the Congress government in Telangana.
The notice allegedly issued by the Intelligence wing, flags posts by @TeluguScribe as objectionable and potentially disruptive.
The communication, sent by R. Bhaaskaran, IPS, Intelligence Department, requests X Corp to share registration details, usage logs, and related data of the account. The notice cites Section 43F of the UAPA alongside Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, signalling possible legal escalation beyond routine cyber complaints.
According to the police, the handle has been posting “highly objectionable and filthy language” along with “morphed videos and photos,” which could undermine the dignity of public figures and incite public unrest. Authorities have stressed the need to identify the individual behind the account to prevent further harm and initiate legal action.
Notably, the TeluguScribe Twitter handle highlights several issues critical of the Telangana Congress government, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and his ministers, while appearing to favour the BRS leadership and the previous government led by KCR.
TeluguScribe Responds, Alleges Targeting by Congress Government
In a strongly worded response, the TeluguScribe handle termed the police action “shocking and appalling,” arguing that the use of UAPA provisions represents a “draconian” attempt to silence dissent.
We are not terrorists, Revanth Reddy Garu!
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… pic.twitter.com/KP9p82Pgfk
— Telugu Scribe (@TeluguScribe) April 23, 2026
“We are shocked that the Telangana Police are seeking information under the UAPA, a law meant for terrorism-related activities,” the statement said. “After trying several tactics to silence voices questioning the Revanth-led Telangana government, this appears to be the latest move.”
The handle further claimed that all its content is in the public domain and legally compliant, rejecting the allegations made in the police notice as “false.” It also asserted that it has been “regularly targeted” due to its “pro-people coverage” of issues in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Critics point to a clear contradiction, noting that Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly spoken about freedom of speech and opposed the misuse of stringent laws like the UAPA. However, they argue that the Congress-led Telangana government under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is now invoking UAPA provisions against a social media handle for being critical, raising concerns that journalists and digital voices are being threatened despite the party’s stated stand on civil liberties.
