Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed the police to deal with circulation of fake news seriously and ensure that the information reaches the administration as quickly as possible.
On Thursday the state police marked a video footage circulated on the social media claiming it to be of Bengal. But the video footage is an old one of Haryana. Speaking on the issue, Banerjee directed the Inspector in Charges (IC) and Officer in Charges (OC) to visit their respective areas four or five times a day in order to stay updated about what is happening in the area. She further advised the police officers to conduct surprise visits in the areas so that no information gets unnoticed.
The Chief Minister also raised an alarm suspecting that circulation of fake news will increase. To deal with the issue, police must stay active. She further urged police to continue with their work as they are doing at present instead of considering taking a bit rest ahead of the election. One must keep in mind that the election would take place in May.
The state police on Thursday tweeted, "a video of Haryana is being circulated as of West Bengal on WhatsApp and FB with a mischievous message. Legal action is being initiated. Please do not forward the misleading video containing mischievous message Fake News Alert."
Sources informed that the person who circulated the video is from the Baruipur area and an active BJP worker. Baruipur Police District has been instructed to start a case against the person and arrest him as soon as possible.
Earlier several BJP workers and leaders were arrested for allegedly spreading fake news in a few districts. In some cases people who had spread false information without verifying it were either arrested or had faced legal actions. Earlier in several instances in Kolkata and districts, people who had spread false information were cautioned by the respective police units.