Lucknow:

The Uttar Pradesh government has drafted a new digital media policy that allows it to pay up to Rs 8 lakh per month to an influencer to promote its schemes. It also warns of legal action if any “objectionable content” is put online.

The move triggered a sharp reaction from the opposition, which has accused the state’s BJP government of trying to stifle freedom of expression.

The state government will pay up to Rs 8 lakh per month to influencers and holders of these accounts on different social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube depending on their followers and subscribers.

The government will also take legal action against the social media operators, influencers, firms or agencies concerned in case “objectionable content” is uploaded, it stated.

“In case of uploading objectionable content on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and YouTube, there is a provision for legal action against the concerned agency/firm as per rules. Under no circumstances should the content be indecent, obscene and anti-national,” stated the press note signed by Principal Secretary Sanjay Prasad.

The policy will also help create jobs, the statement noted.

According to the digital media policy, digital mediums like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and YouTube will also be encouraged to display content, videos, tweets, posts, reels based on the schemes and achievements of the state government by listing the related agencies or firms and issuing advertisements.

“With the release of this policy, the residents of the state who are residing in different parts of the country and abroad will be ensured to get employment in large numbers,” it said.

For listing, each of X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube has been divided into four categories based on subscribers and followers, it said.

“The category-wise maximum payout limit for payments to account holders or operators or influencers of X, Facebook, Instagram has been fixed at Rs 5 lakh, Rs 4 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh per month respectively.

“The category wise maximum payout limit for videos, shorts, podcast payments on YouTube has been fixed at Rs 8 lakh, Rs 7 lakh, Rs 6 lakh and Rs 4 lakh per month respectively,” it added.

The opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress said the state government’s move is aimed at stifling freedom of expression.

“What else will the public expect from a scared government? The public will strongly oppose this BJP plan to curb freedom of expression,” the Samajwadi posted on X.

UP Congress’ social media chairperson Pankhuri Pathak said through this policy, social media influencers and companies which publicise and promote the BJP government will get financial support from the state.

“Along with this, if social media influencers put forward any views that are not liked by the government or deemed objectionable by it, then they will be punished. That means, once again, an attempt is being made by the Uttar Pradesh government to stifle freedom of expression,” Pathak alleged.

She claimed that the financial support which would be given to the influencers would come from the money of the taxpayers who give it to the government for public welfare.

However, the BJP lauded the policy, saying it was an “innovative move” of the Yogi Adityanath government by creating employment and also checking rumour-spreading on social media, the opposition parties called it an attempt to curb freedom of expression on social media and misuse of public funds.

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, “The Yogi Adityanath government moves forward with innovations. It pays attention to the changes happening in society. Digital media policy will create new jobs.

“Those who play with law and order by spreading rumours on social media will be strictly punished. UP’s social media policy will become an example across the country,” he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh):

In a ‘shocking’ incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri, a woman gave electric shocks to her husband who had taken away her mobile phone, claiming that she was spending too much screen time on it, the police said.

The 33-year-old woman first sedated the husband and tied him to the bed. She went on to thrash him and give electric shock.

When their 14-year-old son tried to save his father, he too was beaten.

The husband, Pradeep Singh, is undergoing treatment at Saifai Medical College, officials said.

Singh got married to Baby Yadav, the daughter of Diwan Singh from Aurraiya, in 2007.

In his complaint, he alleged, “My wife used to talk to someone every day on her mobile phone. I objected to it and informed her family. At their request, I took her mobile phone. This made her angry, and she threatened to kill me and my son. Last weekend, she sedated me and subjected me to brutal torture. She repeatedly struck me with a cricket bat, causing severe injuries on my head and body. She also gave me electric shocks. When my son attempted to intervene and save me, she assaulted him as well.”

Kishni police station Station House Officer, Anil Kumar, said, “A case under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc, with intent to commit an offence) and 506 (criminal Intimidation) has been registered against the accused woman, who is currently on the run.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Budaun:

A barber was kept in a lockup at a police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun for allegedly reaching late at a police officer’s residence for a haircut, officials said on Thursday.

The incident occurred when Circle Officer (CO) Sunil Kumar had called Vinod Kumar, a barber, at his residence for a haircut, they said.

Talking to the media, the victim’s brother Shiv Kumar said, “Vinod was busy with other customers so he got a bit late in reaching the residence of the CO. A few hours later some police personnel came to our shop. They closed it and took Vinod to the Bisauli police station.” “They kept Vinod in the lock-up till Wednesday afternoon,” he added.

Following the incident, the Superintendent of Police Alok Priyadarshi said that the matter has come to his notice and an investigation is underway.

“Action will be taken against the person responsible,” Priyadarshi said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

On a narrow street in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi, a Toyota Fortuner ran over a 70-year-old man who was behind the vehicle. The bone-chilling incident occurred in the Sipri Bazaar area of Jhansi when the driver was reversing the car in a narrow street with cars parked on either side.

The four-minute-long video, captured on CCTV, shows a white Uttar Pradesh-registered Toyota Fortuner reversing in a narrow street. A few seconds later, a man, Rajendra Gupta, was seen getting hit and falling under the SUV. The driver, unaware that a man was under the car, reversed the vehicle for a few metres.

The man was screaming in pain as he was getting dragged by the car. When people heard the screams, they ran toward the car and the driver moved his vehicle forward. The bleeding man was lying on the road and was dragged for a few feet when the driver moved it forward.

The driver of the Fortuner got down from the vehicle as a crowd had gathered on the street, which pulled out the man from under the car. The SUV weighs over 2.5 tons and the man suffered serious injuries in the incident.

The police were called, and the driver of the vehicle offered to help. He took the elderly man to a hospital in his vehicle.

The police have registered a case of reckless driving, endangering the life of a person and causing grievous injuries under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code after the elderly man’s son filed a complaint.

Banda:

A headless body of a woman was found in Chamraha village here with four of her fingers missing, police said on Friday.

The woman, aged about 30-35 years, was only partially clothed and her head was found at some distance from her body, Superintendent of Police Ankur Agarwal said.

She was identified as Maya Devi, wife of Ramkumar Ahirwar, a resident of Pahra village of Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh.

After a prima facie investigation, police made the family members suspects.

During interrogation, Ramkumar, the husband, his sons Suraj Prakash and Brijesh, and nephew Udaibhan, confessed to have hatched the plan for the woman’s murder, the SP said.

According to Ramkumar’s testimony, Maya Devi was his second wife, and had an illicit relationship with one of his sons and wanted to start a similar thing with the other son, Agarwal said.

Infuriated, the four took Maya Devi to Chamraha village in a vehicle, strangled her to death, and cut her head with an axe. They also cut four of her fingers.

The vehicle and axe used in crime have been recovered by the police, the SP said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)