An Indian-origin professor, Uday Reddy teaching Computer Science at the University of Birmingham, UK was recently accused of inciting ethnic violence among the religious communities in Manipur through online messages and discussions on social media. The charges were brought forward following a police complaint filed in the state capital, Imphal.
The First Information Report (FIR) that was filed by a local resident in Imphal East district alleged that Professor Reddy had been intentionally promoting enmity between the communities in Manipur on religious grounds in Manipur. According to the complaint, Reddy has been conducting online sessions that insult the religious beliefs of the Meitei community and foster tensions between the Meiteis and other ethnic groups.
“The accused person deliberately with malicious intention insulted the Meitei’s religious beliefs and promoted enmity between the Meiteis and other communities on religious ground,” the FIR stated. The complaint, further, suggested that the accused may also have links with the Khalistani elements that are existing in Canada which raised significant concerns.
The investigation carried out by the police officials revealed that Reddy hosted several audio discussions on social media platforms, where he allegedly instructed individuals on how to disrupt law enforcement efforts in Manipur. Following the revelation, his social media account on X (formerly Twitter) was withheld in India as a response to a legal demand which was taken on court orders according to X’s policy.
“The unlawful activities of the accused person and his associates amount to anti-national activities that challenge the integrity and sovereignty of India, and is fit to be dealt with under the relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,” the complainant asserted in the FIR. The complainant has also urged authorities to investigate Reddy’s call records and financial transactions to uncover any further links to illicit activities.
“As there is a high possibility of the accused being linked with Khalistanis in Canada… and with narco-terrorist groups… the call records of the accused, financial activities… may kindly be investigated,” the FIR said. The complainant requested Indian authorities to contact the University of Birmingham in order to inform them of the accused’s “criminal acts committed by him against India.” Additionally, the FIR also called for the authorities to issue a lookout circular (LOC) to monitor Reddy’s entry and exit points in India, ensuring he cannot leave the country if required for further investigation.
Calls to the University of Birmingham’s Computer Science Department seeking comments on the matter went unanswered, and Professor Reddy has yet to issue a public statement regarding the accusations.
This incident is not isolated. In August 2023, X also withheld the account of Ashok Swain, a Sweden-based Indian-origin professor and critic of the Indian government’s policies, following a legal demand from India.
Since May 2023, social media has been a battleground of narratives following ethnic violence between the Meitei community and nearly two dozen tribes known as Kuki in Manipur. The conflict has intensified the spread of misinformation and inflammatory content online, leading to heightened tensions.
The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had also addressed this issue in December 2023. He had expressed his concerns over the rise of troll armies and the organized disinformation campaigns on social media. At the 14th Justice VM Tarkunde Memorial Lecture, he highlighted the challenge of an overwhelming barrage of speech that distorts the truth, complicating the landscape of civil rights activism and freedom of expression.
“Traditionally, freedom of speech and expression was deemed to be an essential part of civil rights activism because of the fear that the government would prevent certain kinds of speech from entering the marketplace,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.”With the advent of troll armies and organised disinformation campaigns across different social media platforms, the fear is that there is an overwhelming barrage of speech that distorts the truth.”
