The Haryana government has formed a three-member committee to probe social media activities from July 21 after concluding that online activities have played a significant role in fuelling the violence.
Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said: "In response to this concern, the state government has formed a three-member committee tasked with monitoring social media activities from July 21 to onwards. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and others will be closely examined/scanned for any provocative posts," an official statement quoted Vij as saying.
He said the committee will take appropriate legal action against individuals found spreading hatred or misinformation.
Vij's statement comes amid allegations that murder-accused cow vigilante Monu Manesar's controversial Facebook post had triggered the violence in Nuh. Manesar, booked by the Rajasthan Police in the February killing of two Muslim men and accused by some to be a trigger for the Nuh violence, that he would join the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek procession in Nuh. He, however, did not take part after the VHP warned that his presence would trigger violence.
Vij, while appealing to the people to use social media responsibly and refrain from sharing inflammatory content, said that Manesar would not be spared if he had any role in the Nuh incident.
He said that factual things are being collected relating to the Nuh violence and police are also taking action against the culprits.
The minister said that in a democracy, everyone has the right to speak their mind, but appealed to the people not to take the law into their hands. "Whoever, no matter how small or big he may be, whoever has conspired, whoever has engineered this, whoever has hatched this conspiracy, will not be spared," he said referring to the Nuh violence.
AAP, Congress target govt
The Haryana government was criticised by both Opposition Congress and AAP. Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday said the violence in Nuh and other places in Haryana was the result of the alleged "failure" of the BJP-JJP government, asserting that it did not take timely action to prevent the disturbance to law and order.
He appealed to people to maintain peace and brotherhood and not pay attention to rumours.
"Information emerging regarding the events of Nuh is very disturbing. The government itself is admitting that conditions of conflict were simmering. But despite the government having all the information, it did not take timely steps," the former Haryana chief minister, who is the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, said in a statement.
AAP also trained its guns on the government, stating that BJP-ruled states the public has to take care of their own security. "If you want to live in Haryana, protect yourself because the Haryana chief minister has clearly told people that the 'govt can't protect the public'. If the BJP governments cannot provide security to the people, then why are they sticking to the chair like termites? First BJP burnt Manipur, then Haryana, next some third state will be burnt, wherever there is BJP's 'double engine' government, there is no guarantee of public safety. The government which cannot protect the public has no right to sit in power," AAP tweeted.
However, Vij defended the state government stating that it was not the time to do politics, peace has to be restored in the state and everyone should contribute in restoring peace. "After this, he said he will answer all the questions of the Opposition," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
