The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on Monday, 12 August, asked micro-blogging platform Twitter to suspend eight Kashmir-based profiles on account of spreading rumours. The social media website suspended four of those eight accounts.
According to a report by India Today, the Union Home secretary, in a letter to Twitter, recommended the closure of the following accounts for "spreading rumours and misinformation to disturb the peace and calm in the Valley":
- @kashmir787 – Voice of Kashmir
- @Red4Kashmir – MadihaShakil Khan
- @arsched – Arshad Sharif
- @mscully94 – Mary Scully
- @sageelaniii – Syed Ali Geelani (Suspended)
- @sadaf2k19 (Suspended)
- @RiazKha61370907 (Suspended)
- @RiazKha723 (Suspended)
Out of the accounts not suspended, @arsched (Arshad Sharif) is a journalist with ARY News, while @mscully94 (Mary Scully) is a journalist working for Pakistan Today.
According to a Firstpost report, a tweet by a Pakistani journalist Wajahat Saeed Khan was taken up by the Kashmir police for spreading false information about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Khan had said that a Kashmiri policeman killed five CRPF personnel after they refused let a pregnant woman travel because she did not have a curfew pass.
"This malicious content is strongly rebutted.Matter has been taken up with @TwitterSupport for action (sic)," the Kashmir police said.
Normal life has taken a hit in the Valley ever since the government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated J&K into two Union Territories.
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