United News of India
New Delhi, Apr 16: The Centre is keeping a ‘close-watch’ on news movements from different media outlets and videos across country to stop misinformation creating chaos amid the fight against Covid-19.
A senior government official, on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday that the state governments have been directed to take all suitable measures to stop any type of false Information that is making the overall scenario complicated and challenging.
The government’s instructions came a day after a political activist, a journalist from a news channel and eleven others – including nine migrant workers – were arrested for triggering chaos at Bandra Railway Station in Mumbai by giving out false information about movements of long-distance trains.
“Media has a greater role during this trying time and it should not encourage misinformation in any form”, the official said.
Nearly 1,500 migrants had assembled at the Bandra Railway Station on Tuesday evening demanding that they be sent back to their homes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand in view of the extended lockdown and were lathi-charged by police before they dispersed.
Police had filed FIRs against the political activist named Vinay Dubey and the journalist – Rahul Kulkarni.
Dubey was picked up on Tuesday night from his Airoli residence and arrested early on Wednesday for instigating migrants to gather at stations to board trains.
He had put up several videos also assuring migrants that he would help them reach home.
He had also asked workers to protest against the Government for not facilitating their movements.
Kulkarni was held from Osmanabad for airing a news report on Tuesday saying the Railways had decided to run Jansadharan special trains in order to allow stranded labourers to go home.
While, Dubey was produced before a court and remanded in police custody till April 21, Kulkarni and the nine workers would be brought to court on Thursday.
A number of people, including a school teacher, have already been arrested from different places of the country like Kolkata for misinformation through WhatsApp and other messages.
