Odisha government bans social media in Bhadrak

BHUBANESWAR: The state government for the first time in Odisha banned the use of social media like WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook in Bhadrak district in the wake of heightened communal tension. The restriction, which started at 7 pm on Sunday, will continue for 48 hours.
Special DG (Crime) B K Sharma said the purpose of restricting the access to social media is aimed at preventing circulation of hate message.“For the first time we banned the social media in a particular geographic area, apprehending that the miscreants may stoke the violence,” Sharma told TOI.
Sharma said the cyber cell of Crime Branch is flooded with information about people, who wanted to foment violence. “Earlier in the day, we appealed to people to supply us information about outlaws, who circulated provocative remarks and rumours on social media. We received a lot of complaints. We are verifying it,” Sharma said.
Communal riot erupted in Bhadrak, about 114 km from Bhubaneswar, on Thursday following offensive remarks on Hindu deities on the Facebook. The violence flared up on Friday as irate mob ran riot and torched several shops. A number of police personnel and civilians were injured, forcing the government to impose curfew on Friday evening. As there was no sign of violence since Saturday, the state government temporarily lifted the curfew for four hours on Sunday. Two companies of rapid action force conducted flag march in Bhadrak.