Former Minister and senior YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Vidadala Rajani has taken a strong stand against the ongoing abusive and defamatory content targeting YSRCP leaders, particularly women, on social media and certain media outlets. In a formal letter addressed to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Commission for Women (NCW), Rajani raised serious concerns over the personal attacks, vulgar language, and deliberate character assassination campaigns being run against YSRCP Women leaders, Party chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his family members.
Rajani alleged that specific handles on social media platforms as well as the media house ABN Andhra Jyothy have been continuously targeting YSRCP leadership with insulting, derogatory, and indecent remarks. In her complaint, she expressed shock that even women leaders were not being spared, and language so foul was being used that it could not even be repeated in formal documentation.
“This is not just political criticism—this is deliberate defamation using indecent, gendered slurs to malign public figures and women in power,” Rajani stated. She urged both the NHRC and NCW to take cognizance of the systematic abuse and harassment and initiate strict action against the offenders to prevent further damage to individuals’ dignity and democratic discourse.
Her complaint has triggered discussions across political circles and civil society, as this is one of the first formal representations by a woman political leader to top national human rights bodies over digital and media-based defamation.
Political analysts note that the involvement of NHRC and NCW could set a precedent in regulating online hate speech, especially when it targets women in public life. The question now remains as to what action these constitutional bodies will take in response to Rajani’s complaint.
