After Tripura Police invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to book over 100 journalists, lawyers and other critics of the BJP government, 24 social media profiles have been pulled down and 57 tweets have been removed, of which 23 are “withheld in India in response to a legal demand," The Indian Express reported.
Most profiles affected are recently set up with low reach. As per the report, 15 joined Twitter during 2020-2021, 19 between 2015 and 2019, 7 between 2010 and 2014.
Only 12 of these have over 10,000 followers, the Indian Express reported.
Further, these profiles reportedly belong to people identifying as journalists, political workers, students, activists and affiliates of religious organisations. Some handles have not yet been identified.
On 6 November, the Tripura Police on 6 November had booked 102 social media handles under the UAPA, for their posts allegedly 'promoting enmity between religious groups.' The posts had shared reports of a spate of attacks on the minority Muslim community in the state.
The Tripura Police had alleged "criminal conspiracy" by the accused to "flare up communal tensions."
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court issued a notice on a petition filed by two lawyers and a journalist challenging the FIR registered by the Tripura Police under the UAPA and other IPC sections.
The apex court directed that no coercive action be taken against the three, reported LiveLaw.
(with inputs from The Indian Express and LiveLaw.)
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