With Muharram beginning on Thursday, Lucknow police have warned of initiating stern action against those found forwarding provocative or misleading religious/communal messages on social media.
Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Upendra Kumar Agarwal said that group admins and members should immediately report such messages.
Even a message coming from other states should be reported in Lucknow.
The strictest punitive action will be taken against the person circulating the message.
“If any person of any religion or community posts or forwards objectionable material (such as articles, photos, videos etc) on Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook or any social media platform, it is the duty of the group admin to immediately remove/stop the person who posted such objectionable post/content from the group and inform the police immediately, otherwise, necessary legal action will be taken against the group admin as well,” the JCP added.
Meanwhile, the administration has deployed a sizable police force to ensure that Muharram is observed peacefully throughout the state capital.
The police headquarters have sent nearly 4,000 personnel of all ranks to the Lucknow district, including 6 DCPs, 18 ADCPs, 53 ACPs, 132 constables and 11 companies of PAC.
As many as 116 hotspots have also been identified.