New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday accused the Central government of attempting to silence the country’s youth and urged it to focus on governance instead of suppressing dissent.
In a video message, Kejriwal claimed the Narendra Modi-led government was “afraid” of the country’s younger generation and was introducing measures to curb criticism on social media.
Kejriwal questions social media content removal rule
Kejriwal alleged that the government has introduced a rule requiring social media platforms to remove posts or videos critical of the government within three hours if directed by authorities.
He claimed that such a move would restrict people from speaking on issues such as paper leaks, ethanol blending and alleged corruption.
“The government should focus on doing good work instead of trying to silence the voice of the country’s youth,” Kejriwal said.
Links student protests to growing public anger
Referring to the recent student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, the AAP leader claimed the demonstrations reflected growing public dissatisfaction built up over the past decade.
He alleged that students and women protesters were mistreated and said suppressing dissent would only increase resentment among young people.
“The more you suppress the voice of the country’s youth, the more their anger will rise,” he said.
Fresh attack after Meta criticism
Kejriwal’s remarks come a day after he accused Meta India of restricting his social media account without providing a valid reason.
In a post on social media, he alleged that the company was yielding to pressure from the Central government and criticised the action against his account.
The Centre has not responded to Kejriwal’s latest allegations.