Blue Whale Challenge: Shivraj Singh Chouhan says MP govt making efforts to ban lethal game

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said his government is making efforts to ban the online game ‘Blue Whale Challenge’, which allegedly incites players to commit suicide. Chouhan, while addressing a programme to felicitate teachers on Tuesday, also blamed the “western culture for the increasing trend of such games”. “The Blue Whale Challenge game is not a part of our tradition. A student creates a different world through this game. The things (culture) coming from the west are dangerous. Efforts are being made to ban this game,” Chouhan said, referring to the incidents of alleged suicide by children while taking part in the Blue Whale Challenge. He said parents, family, society, and government, all are responsible for this situation. [caption id=“attachment_4015645” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “It is the responsibility of parents and teachers to show the right path to children and ensure their all round development,” he said adding that the “children should not be turned into machines”. On 3 September, police had recovered the body of a 17-year old class XII student on railway tracks in Damoh, about 300 kilometers from the state capital. According to police, the student was allegedly playing the Blue Whale Challenge. A CCTV camera installed at a house near the railway crossing had recorded the entire episode. However, the police later said that the exact cause would be known after a thorough investigation in the matter. The boy reached a rail crossing close to Futera Lake and after parking the two-wheeler near the tracks, he started clicking selfies before a running train which led to his death, police had earlier said. The Blue Whale Challenge is reportedly a suicide game in which the player is given certain tasks to complete over a period of 50 days. The final task leads him or her to commit suicide. The player is also asked to share photos after finishing each challenge. The game has claimed several lives worldwide. The game starts by asking participants via social media to draw a whale on a piece of paper, then carve a whale figure on their body. It is followed by other tasks such as watching horror movies alone or waking up at unearthly hours. The tasks also involve self-harm, while the final challenge is to commit suicide.