Bengaluru, April 3 (AHN) Priyank Kharge, Karnataka Minister for IT, Biotechnology and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, on Friday, criticised the Centre over its online content regulation policies, citing concerns raised in the US Trade Representative's 2026 National Trade Estimate Report.

In a statement, Kharge said the report has formally flagged India's content takedown regime, noting that US firms are facing an increasing number of requests to remove online content and user accounts that appear to be politically motivated.

He added that such takedowns under the IT Rules have been classified as non-tariff trade barriers, along with frequent internet shutdowns.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier remark that "criticism is the soul of democracy", Kharge alleged that the current Union government has normalised suppressing dissent.

He claimed that critical voices are being "buried without hesitation".

Minister Kharge also raised concerns over recent proposals by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to amend the IT Rules, 2021.

According to the Karnataka Minister, the proposed changes would allow the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to issue blocking orders for news content posted even by non-publishers, effectively bringing independent voices under direct control.

At the same time, Priyank Kharge alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) IT Cell continues to function without adequate scrutiny.

He said these developments indicate that dissenting voices are growing stronger, and accused the BJP of being "afraid" of increasing criticism.

Priyank Kharge further commenting on Kerala elections, said, "I have been in Kerala for a couple of days now. What I see and hear on ground is that 10 years of LDF rule has been a decade of broken promises and quiet loot."

"Across sectors, across communities, people have been let down. The youth are pushed to leave home in search of jobs. Those who stayed face rising drug abuse and shrinking opportunities," he added.

"Public health is on a ventilator with crumbling infrastructure. Families are being pushed into debt with just a single medical emergency," Minister Kharge said.

"The CPI-M did not even spare the sacred Sabarimala temple... Looted it. Attacked the faith of every Ayyappa devotee without shame," he added.

"And through all of this, the CPI-M and BJP have been quietly helping each other in Assembly seats... in spreading divisive politics... in enabling each other's loot," Minister Kharge noted.

"The Communist and BJP nexus is real and Keralam is seeing it clearly. Undeniably, there is a strong wave for UDF across the state," he said.