Key Points:
- The Uttarakhand Police has decided to scrutinise social media behaviour before giving their clearance for people applying for passports.
- The decision was taken as there has been an increase in the number of people putting anti-national posts on social media in the state.
Uttarakhand police will now scrutinise social media behaviour of those putting anti-national posts on social media platforms and would not clear their verification for passport or arms license if it’s found against the country, state director general of police Ashok Kumar said on Tuesday.
Kumar was speaking on the concluding day of state police officers’ conference held at police headquarters in Dehradun. Many other measures to improve policing in the state were also discussed in the conference.
“Till now, in cases of any person putting any anti-national posts on social media, the police used to first do his counselling, asking him not to repeat it in future. A case was registered only if it was a very serious case,” Kumar said, throwing light on the state police’s current approach on the matter.
“From now onwards, the police would scrutinise the accused person’s social media behaviour to check if he is habitual of putting such anti-national posts. If it is found, then the police would not clear his police verification, needed while applying for passport or arms license,” said Kumar.
Another police officer privy to the development said, “The decision was taken as there has been an increase in the number of people putting anti-national posts on social media in the state.”
“The social media monitoring team has been keeping a strict vigil to track down such posts and people as it is a clear threat to law & order,” said the officer.
Speaking about other important policing decisions taken during the two day conference, DGP Kumar said, “In the cases of road accidents involving mining vehicles, the police would now also register a case against the owners of such vehicles and not just its driver.”
Source: HT
