Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 18 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused the Central government of launching its "most brazen and calculated attack" on free speech, claiming that the government sent 1.95 lakh blocking orders to social media firms between March and July 2026.
Sharing an infographic, Kharge wrote on X, "Modi Govt has launched its most brazen and calculated attack on the democratic right of every Indian to speak, to question and to dissent. It's Social Media Censorship is as condemnable as the lathicharge & pellet guns they used on our youth!"
https://x.com/kharge/status/2089626412701663598/photo/1
According to Kharge, the Centre has issued approximately 1,95,000 blocking orders were issued in 5 months.
"What we are seeing today is only the tip of the iceberg. 1.95 lakh blocking orders in just 5 months. One every 68 seconds. Not against criminals, but against students, young Indians who came out on the streets demanding accountability for their stolen futures and their rigged examinations. Bones were broken in broad daylight. And at the very same time, post by post and reel by reel, every single voice that supported them was being systematically erased from the internet by direct government order," Kharge added on X.
He further accused ruling party supporters of online harassment and alleged that women were being doxxed and threatened with rape without legal consequences.
"Any creator, any journalist, any ordinary citizen who posts something critical of this government today faces immediate takedowns, threatening FIR notices and coordinated intimidation. Meanwhile, the ruling party's Andhbhakts freely doxes women, issues rape threats and runs organised harassment campaigns online without a single legal consequence, because none less than the PM follows many such trolls! Modi Govt slashed takedown time to 3 hours and automated censorship so completely that no human even reads the order before a voice is silenced," he added on X.

Meanwhile, the Delhi police has told the Supreme Court that its personnel exercised "maximum restraint" while using only the "minimum required force" to control protesters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar. The affidavit stated that the situation deteriorated after the protesters turned violent and broke through several layers of barricades while attempting to march towards Parliament.

The affidavit was filed in a batch of petitions alleging excessive use of force by police during the protests. In an affidavit filed before the apex court, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi District) Sachin Sharma also responded to allegations concerning the use of lathis fitted with nails and dismissed the claim, describing the footage relied upon as "only a solitary video."