Since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in 2023, the police have identified over 5,400 ‘communal and sensitive’ social media posts, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh said on Monday.
The DGP has revealed that from June 1, 2023, to date, a total of 5,406 posts were detected, each of which contained violent, inflammatory or communal content. Of them, almost 3,200 posts were successfully removed with the coordination of the state Information Technology Department and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Further, 187 social media pages and accounts were shut down for allegedly spreading misinformation and inciting unrest.
It was announced during the programme by the Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, flagging off 477 police vehicles, which were an assortment of armoured vehicles and motorcycles, to bolster law enforcement operations in the state from the 1st Manipur Rifles Ground.
DGP Rajiv Singh emphasized the need to curb fake news and verify information online to help keep peace in the affected areas where violence has occurred. Since the ethnic clashes erupted in May 2023, misinformation spread across social media platforms has contributed significantly to escalating the situation, he said.
The police chief also pointed out that the police department is increasingly engaging in digital outreach activities, with its official social media accounts receiving a lot of interaction from the public. The police Facebook page now has approximately 79,000 followers while their X account has reached 27,000 followers, he said.
The police are closely watching online activities while they continue to work towards restoring peace and communal hatred in the state.