CM Yogi Warns Social Media Fuels 'Anti-India' Conspiracies, Threatens National Unity

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued a stern warning, stating that social media platforms have become a primary conduit for 'anti-India forces' to sow discord and undermine national pride. His remarks, delivered most recently on August 9, 2026, and echoed in late July, highlight a growing concern within India's political leadership about digital platforms being exploited to spread misinformation and destabilize the country. The Chief Minister emphasized that these foreign and domestic adversaries are leveraging technology, including artificial intelligence and fake accounts, to instigate divisions based on caste, region, and language, especially targeting impressionable youth who rely on smartphones for news. This comes amidst a documented surge of foreign disinformation campaigns in February 2026, which used AI-generated content and manipulated media to target India's political leadership and military. The Uttar Pradesh government, under Adityanath, has already moved to tackle this, approving a Digital Media Policy in 2024 that penalizes 'anti-national' content while incentivizing positive coverage. As India continues its rapid ascent on the global stage, the government sees these digital conspiracies as attempts to impede its progress. Efforts are underway at the national level to address these challenges, with the proposed Digital India Act (DIA) set to replace the older IT Act, 2000, and introduce more comprehensive regulations for high-risk AI systems and online content. Meanwhile, the IT Rules, 2021, and recent 2026 amendments already place significant responsibility on social media intermediaries to promptly remove unlawful content, including deepfakes, pushing for a constant balance between safeguarding free speech and ensuring national security in the digital age.