Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh police on Sunday arrested two sympathizers of opposition TDP for making objectionable comments about a woman legislator belonging to ruling YSR Congress Party.
According to the police, they had posted objectionable content on the Facebook about Vidadala Rajini, who represents Chilkaluripeta Assembly constituency in Guntur district.
S. Hari Prasad Reddy and P. Praveen, both said to be sympathizers of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were arrested in Nellore district and brought to Chilkalurpeta on Sunday. They will be produced in a court on Monday.
The police registered a case against them on a complaint by M. Nagaraju, a leader of YSRCP. The complainant alleged that Hari Prasad Reddy posted objectionable comment along with the photograph of the MLA. He said Praveen also made objectionable remarks in reply to Hari Prasad Reddy’s post.
A case under section 509 of Indian Penal Code and section 67 of IT Act-2008 was registered against them at Chilkaluripeta police station.
The arrests were made two days after State Assembly passed a Bill to provide for stringent punishment to those harassing women through social media
Under Andhra Pradesh Disha Act 2019, in cases of harassment of women through mail, social media, digital mode or any other form, the guilty shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to two years on first conviction and with imprisonment for a term which may extend to four years on second and subsequent conviction.
It was also decided to add new Section 354E ‘Harassment of Women’ in Indian Penal Code, 1860.