The Delhi government is considering to issue a WhatsApp number on which people can complain about hate messages being circulated on the instant messaging app in wake of the violence that claimed 42 lives in northeast Delhi, sources said on Saturday, 29 February, PTI reported.
They said that the government will make an appeal to people to not forward any such message because forwarding any material which causes enmity amongst communities is a crime. The move is aimed at dealing with rumours on social media.
"If anyone receives any such material, he can immediately make a complaint to Delhi government stating the name and number of the person who forwarded that message," a source told PTI.
An official will screen all the complaints made and genuine complaints would then be forwarded to police for necessary action, the sources said.
On Friday, 28 February, Delhi Police had issued a statement saying that they are monitoring social media and would be taking ‘strict legal action’ against anyone circulating hate material on social media in the wake of the communal violence in Delhi that broke out amid clashes over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
In a release, the Delhi Police had said that a lot of hate material was being circulated on social media platforms, pointing out that it was an offence under law.
They further advised people to desist from posting and further spreading “anything incriminating”.
The police added that if anyone comes across any such hate material, they could file a complaint by calling the cyber helpline number – 155260, or on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
The Delhi Police Twitter handle also tweeted with the same information.
Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa, who held a press briefing on Friday evening, had also emphasised the same, appealing to the people of Delhi not to believe fake videos being circulated on social media, adding that they have released various helpline numbers and Twitter handles for people to report such videos.
(With inputs from PTI)
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