After communal clashes erupted in Nagpur over Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb, the Maharashtra State Cyber Department has taken strict action against several social media accounts for sharing inflammatory content related to the recent riots.
Officials identified over 140 posts, videos, and messages on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube that were allegedly intended to incite communal tensions.
Authorities say these posts were deliberately created to provoke religious sentiments and escalate unrest. The riots have already caused major damage to public property, and several people, including police officers, have lost their lives. The spread of misinformation online has worsened the situation.
Initial investigations reveal that the violence was triggered by rumours circulated through social media posts.
Violence breaks out after rumours
Clashes broke out after false claims spread online that a Quran had been burned during a protest by right-wing groups demanding the demolition of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
The Maharashtra Cyber Department and Nagpur City Cyber Police have sent takedown notices under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, to remove the content immediately. They have also issued notices under Section 94 of the BNSS, 2023, to identify those behind these accounts.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/india/nagpur-violence-maharashtra-cyber-dept-cracks-down-on-social-media-accounts-with-provocative-posts-13872976.html.
