KOLKATA: Police made new arrests following clashes and poured thousands of security forces into the eastern city of Kolkata on Friday as tensions mounted ahead of the final round of voting in India’s marathon election.
Supporters of rightwing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition followers clashed in the eastern metropolis late Thursday after Modi held a rally there.
It was the second night of street battles between activists of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the regional Trinamool Congress (TMC) this week.
Police said at least 26 arrests were made on Friday over the latest unrest as they bolstered security before Sunday’s voting.
India’s six-week election ends on Sunday with the seventh round of voting in eight northern states, including West Bengal, where Kolkata is the capital.
With Modi seeking a second term, but scrambling to hold on to his overall majority, the results will be announced on May 23.
Modi’s BJP has been aggressively campaigning in West Bengal, hoping to making gains from the TMC, which controls the state, to make up for losses expected in other states.
An official election observer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there have been more than 300 incidents of poll violence across West Bengal since campaigning started on April 11.
“Kolkata will witness an unprecedented deployment of security forces before Sunday,” the official added.
Tens of thousands of troops and paramilitaries were expected in the city of 4.5 million people during the weekend.
Security has already been toughened at Kolkata’s two main railway stations, government offices and metro stations.
Campaigning for the election was ended a day early in West Bengal because of the troubles and the sale of alcohol in Kolkata is now banned until after voting.
Bars in the Park Street entertainment district were closed on Thursday night.
The final day of voting will also be held in the key states of Uttar Pradesh, including Modi’s constituency of Varanasi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.
The BJP won 282 seats of the 543 at stake in 2014, in one of the biggest landslides triumphs in India’s post-independence history.
Analysts predict Modi’s party will lose seats this time and could need a coalition to form a new government.
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New election clashes hit Indian city after Modi rally
New election clashes hit Indian city after Modi rally
- It was the second night of street battles between activists of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the regional Trinamool Congress (TMC) this week
- Police said at least 26 arrests were made on Friday over the latest unrest as they bolstered security before Sunday’s voting
Modi ally proposes social media ban for India’s teens as global debate grows
- India is the world’s second-biggest smartphone market with 750 million devices and a billion Internet users
- South Asian nation is a key growth market for social media apps and does not set a minimum age for access
NEW DELHI: An ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a bill to ban social media for children, as the world’s biggest market for Meta and YouTube joins a global debate on the impact of social media on young people’s health and safety.
“Not only are our children becoming addicted to social media, but India is also one of the world’s largest producers of data for foreign platforms,” lawmaker L.S.K. Devarayalu said on Friday.
“Based on this data, these companies are creating advanced AI systems, effectively turning Indian users into unpaid data providers, while the strategic and economic benefits are reaped elsewhere,” he said.
Australia last month became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access in a move welcomed by many parents and child advocates but criticized by major technology companies and free-speech advocates. France’s National Assembly this week backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media, while Britain, Denmark and Greece are studying the issue.
Facebook operator Meta, YouTube-parent Alphabet and X did not respond on Saturday to emails seeking comment on the Indian legislation. Meta has said it backs laws for parental oversight but that “governments considering bans should be careful not to push teens toward less safe, unregulated sites.”
India’s IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
India, the world’s second-biggest smartphone market with 750 million devices and a billion Internet users, is a key growth market for social media apps and does not set a minimum age for access.
Devarayalu’s 15-page Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill, which is not public but was seen by Reuters, says no one under 16 “shall be permitted to create, maintain, or hold” a social media account and those found to have one should have them disabled.
“We are asking that the entire onus of ensuring users’ age be placed on the social media platforms,” Devarayalu said.
The government’s chief economic adviser attracted attention on Thursday by saying India should draft policies on age-based access limits to tackle “digital addiction.”
Devarayalu’s legislation is a private member’s bill — not proposed to parliament by a federal minister — but such bills often trigger debates in parliament and influence lawmaking.
He is from the Telugu Desam Party, which governs the southern state Andhra Pradesh and is vital to Modi’s coalition government.
“Not only are our children becoming addicted to social media, but India is also one of the world’s largest producers of data for foreign platforms,” lawmaker L.S.K. Devarayalu said on Friday.
“Based on this data, these companies are creating advanced AI systems, effectively turning Indian users into unpaid data providers, while the strategic and economic benefits are reaped elsewhere,” he said.
Australia last month became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access in a move welcomed by many parents and child advocates but criticized by major technology companies and free-speech advocates. France’s National Assembly this week backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media, while Britain, Denmark and Greece are studying the issue.
Facebook operator Meta, YouTube-parent Alphabet and X did not respond on Saturday to emails seeking comment on the Indian legislation. Meta has said it backs laws for parental oversight but that “governments considering bans should be careful not to push teens toward less safe, unregulated sites.”
India’s IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
India, the world’s second-biggest smartphone market with 750 million devices and a billion Internet users, is a key growth market for social media apps and does not set a minimum age for access.
Devarayalu’s 15-page Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill, which is not public but was seen by Reuters, says no one under 16 “shall be permitted to create, maintain, or hold” a social media account and those found to have one should have them disabled.
“We are asking that the entire onus of ensuring users’ age be placed on the social media platforms,” Devarayalu said.
The government’s chief economic adviser attracted attention on Thursday by saying India should draft policies on age-based access limits to tackle “digital addiction.”
Devarayalu’s legislation is a private member’s bill — not proposed to parliament by a federal minister — but such bills often trigger debates in parliament and influence lawmaking.
He is from the Telugu Desam Party, which governs the southern state Andhra Pradesh and is vital to Modi’s coalition government.
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