UP Police received around 800 complaints about circulation of hate messages and videos on social networking sites, especially in connection with the incident at Bisada village.
Uttar Pradesh Police have received around 800 complaints about hate messages and videos circulated on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, especially in connection with the lynching in Bisada village.
A police team patrols outside the house of Mohmmad Ikhlaq who was killed by a mob over an allegation of cow slaughtering late night on September 28, at Bisada village, in Greater Noida.(Burhaan Kinu/ HT Photo)
The complaints have come within three days of the state police launching a WhatsApp number to enable people to bring the hate messages to the notice of the law enforcement authorities.
“On an average, we receive around 250 complaints daily. It (the trend) is still continuing,” said a senior police officer.
Social media sites were abuzz with hate posts after a mob lynched Mohammad Ikhlaq, 52, and seriously injured his son Danish, 22, at Bisada village following rumours of calf slaughter and beef consumption on September 28.
Plus, the photos of a police constable who died in a road accident at Saharanpur as well as Rahul Yadav, who was injured in police firing in Dadri, went viral on social media.
The sharing of comments on the Dadri incident and the role of the political parties made matters worse.
Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on October 4 directed the state home and police department officers to take strict action those trying to flare up communal tension on social networking sites.