YS Jagan Questions AP Police Over ‘FBI’ Tag in X Takedown Request

YSRCP chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has questioned why the state police allegedly used the name of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) while seeking the removal of posts from an opposition party account on social media platform X.

In a post on Wednesday, Jagan said an X notice showed that the request had originated from an official Andhra Pradesh Police email address, rather than the FBI. However, he alleged that the officer who submitted the request had entered “FBI” as the organisation. Jagan sought an explanation from the state government over who authorised the use of the US agency’s name and why it was mentioned.

Jagan alleged that the move was aimed at suppressing criticism of the TDP-led NDA government. He questioned whether the government was attempting to silence voices raising concerns over the implementation of its Super Six and Super Seven promises, DSC recruitment, Amaravati land issues, the state’s debt burden and alleged governance failures.

He said the government should respond to criticism through its performance instead of attempting to remove social media posts. A police uniform, he remarked, is meant to protect the law and not facilitate political censorship. He also urged the government to devote its attention to welfare implementation, support for farmers facing drought conditions, employment generation, development and resolution of public grievances.

Jagan further argued that social media makes it difficult to suppress information and said a government confident in its record should answer criticism through transparency and results. The Andhra Pradesh Police had not issued an immediate response to his allegations.

TDP spokesperson Deepak Reddy rejected Jagan’s claims and said the X notice did not state that the FBI had submitted the removal request. According to him, the notice only indicated that the request came from an Andhra Pradesh Police email address, while “FBI” appeared in the organisation field.

Deepak Reddy said the available document did not establish why the name was entered and called for an official inquiry to determine who submitted the request, who authorised it and whether the entry was accidental or deliberate.

He cautioned against describing the incident as state-sponsored censorship without independently verifying the circumstances surrounding the request and its approvals. If the FBI name was used without authorisation, he said, the responsible official should be identified and appropriate facts established.

The TDP spokesperson also questioned the previous YSRCP government’s record on handling political criticism and urged Jagan to provide evidence for his allegations. He said the wider debate should focus on governance, jobs, farmers’ welfare, development and public services, rather than drawing conclusions solely from the disputed use of the FBI name.