The police have launched a massive identification drive, on the ground as well as on social media, to round up alleged perpetrators of violence that erupted in south-east Delhi on Sunday when protesters opposing the amended Citizenship Act clashed with the police.
Delhi Police spokesperson M.S. Randhawa said they are in the process of identifying WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms that “fuelled violence by posting unverified videos and pictures”.
Instigated violence
Our investigations have found that rumours like death of students, injuries due to police firing, buses being set alight by policemen, sharing visuals of Patna and Aligarh as happening in Jamia Millia Islamia, instigated the violence and created an insecure atmosphere in the city, he added.
“A team of police personnel supervised by a senior police officer is scanning social media platforms to identify rumour mongers. The police will file a separate FIR under Sections of IT Act,” said the spokesperson.
“We are continuously monitoring social media platforms as rumours are being circulated widely from verified handles. The Delhi Police urges people to not believe rumours and request children, especially students, to not be afraid,” he added.
The spokesperson said that action will only be taken against those involved in illegal activities. “We have to identify those involved in the incident, and action will be taken only against them,” Mr. Randhawa added.
One video that went viral was of a policeman pouring some liquid inside a bus. “The video claimed that police personnel were seen setting vehicles on fire... The policeman were trying to put out a minor fire caused by the protesters. The timely response of the policeman saved the bus from being burned down... we can share the numbers of the bus... it is in the workshop now,” he said.
