New Delhi: The Delhi Police has identified 400-plus social media handles for spreading misinformation, rumours and fake content related to the ongoing student protests.
In a video statement released Thursday evening, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sumit Jha said several of these accounts were also active in the same domain during the Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian armed forces on terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last year.
“It has been noticed that there are efforts to spread misinformation over social media. More than 400 Pakistani social media handles have been identified which have been found to be using the situation by spreading fake information and rumours. Those are being blocked,” DCP Jha said in the statement.
“These were the same social media handles active during Operation Sindoor. These handles have only one purpose: to instigate the public and divert the attention of the youth. I am appealing to you: don’t share any post without verification.”
The statement comes at a time when the government has been grappling to deal with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest. On Thursday, thousands remained at Jantar Mantar and adjoining sites in central Delhi, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier restricted internet in Jantar Mantar for the entire evening of Thursday, with protesters raising slogans against the government on the streets.
Opposition leaders such as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal raised apprehensions about whether the internet ban was imposed to enable the Delhi Police to plan a crackdown and clear the protest site. However, the Delhi Police declined any such apprehensions in a public statement.
(Edited by Tony Rai)