CPI(M) seeks lifting of curbs on ‘Stop Vizag Data Centres’ channel
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has demanded the immediate lifting of restrictions imposed on the ‘Stop Vizag Data Centres’ Instagram channel and related social media posts.
In a statement on Monday, CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao said the government should address the questions and criticism surrounding the proposed Google-Adani data centres and other data centre projects in Visakhapatnam instead of restricting voices questioning them.
The proposed large-scale data centres had raised concerns among intellectuals, educated sections and residents, particularly over land acquisition, water availability, power consumption and their environmental impact, he said. The government should respond to these concerns rather than suppressing public discussion on the issue, he added.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao said people had a fundamental right in a democracy to express their views on government policies in different forms. He alleged that removing posts questioning the data centres while allowing pro-government and corporate content to circulate reflected the “authoritarian approach” of the government.
He also criticised social media companies such as Meta and Google, alleging that they were acting in coordination with governments to censor dissent under laws enabling restrictions on online content. Such provisions were being used by the Central and State governments to suppress voices of protest, he alleged.
The CPI(M) leader also warned that foreign companies could eventually acquire a monopoly over data and that its use could become an instrument of authoritarian control.
He called upon people, democratic-minded sections and intellectuals to protest against what he described as the “authoritarian policies” of the Central and State governments and the policies of Meta and Google that, according to the party, facilitated such restrictions.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao demanded that the restrictions on the ‘Stop Vizag Data Centres’ channel and related individual posts and videos be withdrawn immediately.
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
