THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police have launched a crackdown on those individuals who are spreading hate and communal messages aiming at creating communal polarization in the society through social media.
As many as 30 cases have been registered by the police across the state since last Sunday for spreading hate messages and messages instigating communal tension in the society. Of the 30 cases, as many as 14 cases have been registered in Ernakulam rural, including at North Paravur, Kothamangalam, Muvattupuzha, Aluva, Nedumbassery and Perumbavoor, while four cases have been registered at Palakkad, three in Malappuram, two each in Alappuzha, Kozhikode rural and Kasaragod and one each in Thiruvananthapuram rural, Kollam city, Kottayam and Thrissur rural.
The cases have been registered under sections 153 of the Indian Penal Code and 120 (o) of the Kerala Police Act, 2011.
Of late, the state police have intensified the surveillance on social media for using them for creating communal tensions. In 2018, after the hartal that was instigated in the state using the cover of Kathua rape and murder using the social media, the police had zeroed in on some WhatsApp groups, especially based on northern Kasaragod and southern Karnataka that were trying to further create communal division under the guise of police action against the perpetrators of hartal.
Some of such groups had created digital hate posters in the name of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) alleging that there is a nexus between the RSS and the CPM.
Similarly, when the verdict on Sabarimala led to tensions in the state, the police had to depend on its IT cell in a big way for surveillance on social media.
As many as 30 cases have been registered by the police across the state since last Sunday for spreading hate messages and messages instigating communal tension in the society. Of the 30 cases, as many as 14 cases have been registered in Ernakulam rural, including at North Paravur, Kothamangalam, Muvattupuzha, Aluva, Nedumbassery and Perumbavoor, while four cases have been registered at Palakkad, three in Malappuram, two each in Alappuzha, Kozhikode rural and Kasaragod and one each in Thiruvananthapuram rural, Kollam city, Kottayam and Thrissur rural.
The cases have been registered under sections 153 of the Indian Penal Code and 120 (o) of the Kerala Police Act, 2011.
Of late, the state police have intensified the surveillance on social media for using them for creating communal tensions. In 2018, after the hartal that was instigated in the state using the cover of Kathua rape and murder using the social media, the police had zeroed in on some WhatsApp groups, especially based on northern Kasaragod and southern Karnataka that were trying to further create communal division under the guise of police action against the perpetrators of hartal.
Some of such groups had created digital hate posters in the name of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) alleging that there is a nexus between the RSS and the CPM.
Similarly, when the verdict on Sabarimala led to tensions in the state, the police had to depend on its IT cell in a big way for surveillance on social media.
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