From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 20: Voicing his concern over the growing menace of fake news and its rampant spread in social media after the Congress party came to power, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed the police to identify the sources of fake news and those responsible for their spread on social media and take tough legal action against the malicious content creators.

The Chief Minister discussed the issue with State Home Minister Dr G Parameshwar and asked him to direct the police to put down the malicious content creators and all those responsible spreading fake news in social media as he feared the political opponents may be behind the entire menace.

Without directly blaming the opposition BJP and its Sangh Parivar affiliates, which are widely accused of being responsible for fake news factory, Siddaramaiah pointed out that the fake news menace was rampant when Congress party came to power in the State in 2013 and it is on the rise again this year.

He said the fake news is being spread in social media to create discontent and communal disharmony as Lok Sabha polls are due next year.

“Stern measures and tough action is needed to put down all those attempting to disrupt peace and communal harmony in the State,’’ he said.

The Chief Minister told the Home Minister that the fake news content creators were spreading false and baseless information on child lifting and molesting as well as cattle smugglers or love jihad etc. in order to cause unrest in society and create communal discord.

“We must root out this message with an iron hand,’’ he said.

Siddaramaiah said the city police commissionerate and headquarters of police had a technical cell to identify and verify the fake news to warn the people. But it has been discontinued after BJP came to power, he said and asked the police to revive the system.

The Chief Minister has advised the police to furnish him monthly reports on the action taken.