In an effort to deal sternly with those behind the circulation of objectionable posts on social networking sites, the Maharashtra Government on Monday announced its intent to initiate stringent action against not only those who upload the objectionable posts on Facebook or on WhatsApp, but also against those who “like” or “forward” those posts to others.
Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil’s announcement that the State Government was mulling over stringent action against even those who click on ‘like’ or forward an objectionable post on Facebook as well as WhatsApp from their mobile phones came after another mischievous post — this time on Dalit leader BR Ambedkar began circulating on the social media, triggering sporadic violent protests in parts of Pune, Nasik, Kolhapur, and Aurangabad.
One of the reasons for the State Government considering stringent action against even who either ‘like’ or forward objectionable the lynching of 28-year-old IT professional Mohasin Shaikh over the Facebook postings denigrating Chhtrapati Shivaji and late Sena chief Bal Thackeray allegedly by the activists of Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) in Pune on June 2.
Announcing the State Government’s plans to keep a strict vigil on the postings made on Facebook or on WhatsApp messenger service on mobile phones, Patil said: “Social media is good for people to keep in touch with others and to express their views. … But anti-social elements are misusing the social media to drive wedge between communities and spread hatred among people. From two to three recent incidents in Maharashtra, we have expressed the misuse of social media. Because of such misuse we have law & order problems”.
“We have tracked down those anti-social elements who have uploaded objectionable content on the social media and we plan to arrest them soon,” Patil said.
“While we will initiate action against who upload objectionable posts, we have to also bear in mind that those who ‘like’ the objectionable posts and forward them are siding with people who upload them originally. In the next few days, you will see us taking stringent action taken against them as well,” the State Home Minister said.
Patil said that the State Government was contemplating over initiating action against those who were reacting to objectionable posts received through handsets. “People are reacting to the content on social media, which is being misused extensively. No one can say that somebody else misused his or her mobile as the responsibility is on the mobile phone owner,” the Minister said.
Patil said that the the Pune-based IR professional Mohisin Shaikh, who lynched by a group of radical Hindu outfit on Monday last, was “innocent” and he had not uploaded any objectionable about Chhatrapati Shivaji or Thackeray on his Facebook page as was being made out.
Describing ‘rumour’ the media reports that the Centre had ‘rejected’ the State Government on the murder of the IT professional, Patil said,“These (media reports) are rumours ... Our report has not been rejected by the Centre …. Mohsin was innocent. He had nothing to do with the objectionable posts.”
Meanwhile, senior Congress Minister Naseem Khan has demanded that the Hindu Rashtra Sena, whose activists were behind the murder of Shaikh, be banned.