Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday lashed out at the BJP government at the Centre for remaining “silent” while a top-ranking official and his family allegedly face “shameful, objectionable and deeply unfortunate” personal attacks by “anti-social and criminal elements” on social media.
The former chief minister said that the matter was not merely personal but of national concern as such attacks can demoralise upright officers, who work tirelessly for the nation.
“It is the government’s responsibility to take decisions — not individual officers. Some anti-social criminal elements are openly crossing all limits of abusive language against the officer and his family, but neither the BJP government nor any of its ministers is coming forward to protect their honour and respect and talking about taking any action against those who post such unwanted posts,” said Yadav.
Such posts and statements break the morale of honest officers, who work day and night dedicated to the country, he added.
Yadav also posted a report “Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, family face Hindutva handles’ online abuse amid India-Pak ceasefire”.
Alleging a larger conspiracy, the Samajwadi Party chief questioned whether the ruling party was using these orchestrated attacks to deflect public attention from its own failures.
“Could it be that the BJP government is trying to save itself by diverting attention from its failures and inadequacies towards someone else?” Yadav asked.
“We openly demand that an immediate, high-level investigation be launched. The social media accounts, bank details and all digital transactions of those behind these posts must be scrutinised without delay. ED, CBI, cyber security and other central agencies should be pressed into action today itself,” he said.
Yadav alleged that some of these individuals might be working at the behest of foreign powers, attempting to disrupt national peace and harmony.
“It must be found out who is funding them and with what objective,” he said.
Drawing a sharp contrast, the Samajwadi Party chief questioned the government’s decision to shut down established YouTube channels on grounds of national security while allegedly allowing abusive actors to operate unchecked online.
“If this is happening without the BJP’s knowledge, it is an even more dangerous situation for the country’s internal security. These are the same people, who spread venom online but never face consequences,” he said.
Alleging that those who “sellout” for some “chanda” cannot be loyal to anyone, Yadav said, “If the BJP government fails to act within 24 hours, the people of India will have no difficulty understanding who these individuals work for, who protects them and why.”
The BJP’s silence on this matter would be construed as complicity, he added.
