Rajnath Singh condemns #mobocracy; says fake news, rumours on social media triggers mob lynching incidents

New Delhi, July 19: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday blamed fake news and rumours on social media for mob violence and lynching in the country while putting the responsibility on the state governments to maintain law and order situations.

 

Notably, the reply comes after the opposition Congress gave an adjournment notice to discuss on the issue of mob lynching with asking the government to pass a law.

In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh condemned all the acts of mob lynching and said that fake news and rumours on social media are behind such incidents. He said, “I condemn all acts of mob lynchings. Fake news and rumours are behind such incidents.”

“These are unfortunate incidents. We had issued an advisory on this recently, and one in 2016. Social media being used to spread fake news and rumours is also a reason. We have asked social media sites for regulations,” the Home Minister added.

Amid protests by Opposition leaders, HM Rajnath Singh said that although law and order is a state subject, the Centre has asked social media service providers to take adequate measures. “I appeal for strict action against the perpetrators of such crimes,” the Home Minister concluded.

However, the Congress staged a walkout from Lok Sabha quoting Rajnath Singh's statement was not satisfactory. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, "The Home Minister's statement in Lok Sabha on mob lynching was not satisfactory at all, that is why we staged a walkout from the house. This is not a game of ping-pong that states and Centre keep shifting responsibilities."