Operation Sindoor: Centre asks states to crack down on misinformation, propaganda

The Indian government has asked all states to crack down on anti-national propaganda and fake news being peddled by pro-Pakistan handles on social media. According to media reports, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the states to take immediate action against any misinformation.

This comes amidst a massive disinformation campaign by Pakistan following India’s ‘Operation Sindoor ’ against terror camps across the border. Lots of Pakistani accounts have been spreading misinformation since then, including false information about downing of Indian fighter jets and bombing of an Indian air base.

According to reports, the MHA has asked states to immediately block these handles working at the behest of Pakistani establishment, some of which are operating from abroad as well.

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MHA calls for close coordination with states

The centre has also called for close coordination between local governments, the federal government and the armed forces. It is also working on enhancing communication links, especially with vulnerable regions.

It is to be noted that the Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, allows the government to block online content for reasons of national security or public order.

The Operation Sindoor, which began just after midnight on Wednesday, involved a joint strike by the Army and Air Force targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). This was in response to the Pahalgam terror attack where 26 people were killed.

The Indian government stated that over 90 terrorists were killed in these strikes, which targeted the infrastructure of terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

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Following Pakistan’s condemnation of the strike as an “act of war,” a significant amount of false information had been disseminated on social media. Several pro-Pakistan accounts made false claims, such as Indian jets being shot down and soldiers being captured, without any evidence.

One widely shared post falsely claimed that the Pakistan Army had shot down an Indian Rafale aircraft near Bahawalpur. However, the image used in the post was actually from a separate incident that occurred in 2021. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also incorrectly stated that Indian soldiers had been taken prisoner, a claim he later withdrew.