THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar has defended the cyber police’s controversial act of issuing notices to social media users, including journalists, directing them to takedown content regarding BJP seal appearing on an Election Commission official communique.
He said some users were trying to make the mistake of the Election Commission viral on social media and spreading misinformation. Complaints were received, the police chief said, regarding such content and action was taken to get them removed.
When asked about the offence commissioned by the social media users, the police chief gave a vague response. “One small post is being taken and the users are trying to make a video out of it unnecessarily. Facts are being misinterpreted in a different fashion. We are taking action against those posts only,” he said.
Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar had earlier directed Additional Chief Electoral Officer P B Nooh to conduct an inquiry into the incident where BJP’s official seal appeared on an Election Commission’s (EC) communique to political parties. Nooh has been directed to file a detailed report on the matter within two days.
The ECI letter issued to political parties recently bore the BJP state committee’s official seal which triggered a controversy.
The CPM and the Congress came down heavily on the EC with the latter even alleging that a particular power centre seems to be controlling both the BJP and the Election Commission.
The EC on its part had clarified that the gaffe was due to a clerical mistake committed by one of its staff, who has been placed under suspension.
However, the fallout of the act was unmistakable. The ECI’s gaffe triggered a backlash on social media and to make matters worse, the state cyber police issued notices to several social media users, including Uttar Pradesh-based journalist Rai, who had shared the EC document that bore the BJP seal, directing them to take down the content.
