Hyderabad: Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), has pointed sharp criticism towards Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accusing him of introducing a new digital policy to divert attention from his administrative failures. Owaisi alleges that the policy uses taxpayer money to fund social media influencers who publish favorable content about the government, while potentially criminalizing dissent.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Owaisi’s remarks were made in a social media post on platform X, where he detailed his concerns about the recently introduced UP Digital Media Policy 2024. He claims the policy allows individuals to earn up to 8 lakh rupees for promoting misleading pro-government narratives. Owaisi also cautioned that legal opposition against Yogi Adityanath or his party, the BJP, could lead to accusations of treason and imprisonment, a move he suggests aims to suppress criticism.

The crux of the controversy stems from the provisions of the new policy, approved by Adityanath’s cabinet, which supposedly incentivizes positive endorsements of the government on digital platforms while imposing harsh penalties for criticism.