Be cautious in coercive action against social media users: Congress

The Congress Monday advocated caution on the part of the new government when it came to taking "coercive action" against those active on social media.

Party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters that "coercive action whether it is arrest, threat of arrests or belligerent criticism of young people who play on the social media, who activate the social media, who use the social media must, if at all it is to be taken, taken extremely cautiously sparingly, never hastily and with all due regard to all aspects of human rights".

He said the party had noted at least three "specific" incidents in which such "coercive action" was taken in the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.

"We hope and trust that unless and until the facts are absolutely unambiguous and clear cut, great restraint and compassion will be shown (in these cases)," said Singhvi.

Of the three states mentioned by Singhvi, two - Maharashtra and Karnataka - are ruled by his party.

On this, Singhvi said: "These are matters where the complainants are people belonging to a particular political party... we are only cautioning that there has to be a very wide arch and zone of non-interference and tolerance for such things because they impinge on the issue of speech and expression."