Assam Lynching case: Dispur keeps close tab on social media

Following rumours and fake news circulated purportedly by certain organisations and elements in social media leading to simmering tensions in different parts of the State and lynching of two artistes, the Government of Assam has asked people to be alert and vigilant against such forces out to create disturbance in the society.

The Government has appealed to the people to abide by the law and not to be swayed by rumours and misinformation campaign by certain elements hell bent on creating law and order problem in the society. Dispur has sought the cooperation of all, including the media to scotch such misinformation propaganda and to maintain peace and harmony across the State.

The state government has warned that it will come down heavily on the perpetrators for unleashing misinformation propaganda. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, while highly condemning the dastardly act, has ordered a high level probe into the incident.

Tension has exacerbated in the State ever since the lynching of two Guwahati artistes based in Mumbai who had gone to Karbi Anglong for recording of sounds of nature but were mercilessly beaten up by a mob of around 200 on the suspicion that they were child lifters. The incident that took place on Friday and gone viral in the social media shows the artistes begging the mob to let them go but all their pleas fell on deaf ears.

Nilotpal Das, a sound engineer and his artiste friend Abhijeet Nath succumbed to their grievous injuries. Police have rounded up 16 persons for interrogation.

Meanwhile, the state government has asked the district and subdivisional publicity officers to keep in close liaison with their respective administration and to keep in the loop the local media about the measures taken up to quell the menace of rumours and to ease the current situation. “Any lapses on the part of the field officers will be viewed seriously,” said the order issued by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations on Sunday.