Govt blocks 80 internet pages, user-accounts spreading hate

Government is learnt to have ordered blocking of 80 more internet pages and user-accounts today on social networking sites including Facebook, Google and Twitter to avoid panic among people of northeastern region living across India.

Government is learnt to have ordered blocking of 80 more internet pages and user-accounts on Sunday on social networking sites including Facebook, Google and Twitter to avoid panic among people of northeastern region living across India.

All these sites were found hosting inflammatory and hateful content, spreading rumours and inciting violence targeting the people from north-east, government sources said.

On Saturday, the government had issued instructions to block 76 internet sites, which included web-pages and some websites, and had said that bulk of the rumours that triggered panic among people of north-eastern states in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra were sourced from Pakistan.

"We have found inflammatory and objectionable contents on some pages of Facebook and Google. Some user-accounts at Twitter were also found spreading similar contents. All together, around 80 such pages and accounts have been ordered to be blocked today," the sources said.

The rumours about possible attacks have led to mass exodus of people from northeast from many places including Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune.

According to a report prepared by the Home Ministry, a Pakistan-based hardline group is suspected to have been involved in doctoring images and spreading them across social networking sites to create panic among people of northeastern region living across India.