Punjab’s Rajya Sabha MP, Vikramjit Singh Sahni, has appealed to the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Anurag Thakur, urging the government to block social media accounts that spread hatred through speeches, targeting Sikhs. Sahni has also urged the government to take action against the owners of these social media handles under the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, using emergency powers. He has written a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur regarding this matter.
Calls for stern action against offenders
In his letter to Anurag Thakur, Sahni attached a dossier containing screenshots of hate messages, some of which threatened to repeat the 1984 Sikh massacre. Sahni emphasised the need to shut down such entities for the peaceful coexistence of all religions and communities. He asserted that individuals posting derogatory comments about any community should face severe consequences.
Screenshots shared
Vikramjit Singh Sahni and Congress MLA Pargat Singh raised this issue during the farmers’ protests, posting screenshots from social media handles as evidence. While Pargat Singh called for blocking social media accounts supporting farmers, he also criticized the Punjab government and police for turning a blind eye to spreading hatred.
FIRs against offenders
Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahni has demanded the immediate blocking of social media accounts propagating hate speech against the Sikh community under the IT Rules, 2021. He has also called for filing FIRs against the offenders and emphasised the need for preemptive steps to curb communal tensions.
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