The Centre admitted amidst a clamour from the Opposition for curbs on social media on the grounds that it is creating communal discord that there is no fool-proof cyber security system in place.
The Centre admitted amidst a clamour from the Opposition for curbs on social media on the grounds that it is creating communal discord that there is no fool-proof cyber security system in place. The government on Tuesday said it is making arrangements to boost infrastructure.
Congress leader K.C. Venugopal claimed during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha that social media has become a major tool used to fan communal discord across India. Union home minister Rajnath Singh replied that the government has taken prompt steps in dealing with the cyber security issue after assuming charge. He said it had constituted a committee headed by Mr Gulshan Rai, whose report has been received. “The government will take measures as recommended by the committee,” said Mr Singh, adding that there are lacunae currently in the cyber security structure.
Meanwhile, Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju said the government has cracked down on a number of websites for spreading hatred and communal tension after the Dadri incident. He said there has been a rise in the number of cyber crime cases registered. “Terrorist organisations like Al Qaeda, Hizbul Mujahideen, ISIS and Boko Haram have been making use of social media for recruitment. The government will treat the issue effectively to deal with the challenge,” added Mr Rijiju. He stated that there are many campaigns on social media to fan communal tension and various other issues. “The figure has risen in 2015 primarily because there were incidents in which we could act. There was the Dadri incident... This was used to create hatred and divide. We cracked down on many portals. That is why the figure jumped,” he said.
