Keyboard Warriors Spreading Fake News to Incite Violence in Jammu and Kashmir

After the terminology of Love Jihad, India seems to have come up with another terminology  – “Keyboard Jihad” or “Keyboard Warriors”. The Police from the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir now has a new job i.e. to check “Fake News” and trace & identify “Keypad Jihadis” or “Facebook Warriors” who spread rumours on social networking sites. 

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Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir police booked a prominent Kashmiri Pandit – Sushil Pandit for disseminating fake news where he claimed five CRPF personnel were killed in south Kashmir. A spokesman for J&K Police said they charged Sushil Pandit for “spreading fake news” after he posted the story from his Twitter account. Early this month, two social media users Ashish Kaul (@ashishkaul13) and Arfat Bhat (@arfatbhat4) were charged by police in Jammu and Kashmir for scurrilous tweets.

The J&K police have now registered cases against five Twitter handles and complained to service providers against lewd and false propaganda on social sites and apps, so that action can be taken as soon as possible. The J&K police have placed great importance on monitoring the social websites and applications like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc.

The officials said that social sites have become a key battleground for terrorist organizations along with their sympathisers and supporters who provoke innocent people in believing the fake news.

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The paramount concern for the Indian security agencies is the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, commencing next month. The security agencies dread the possibility that any “Keyboard Warrior” from the comfort of their homes, in any part of the world, might just plant a Fake News, which might turn the normal situation in Kashmir Valley ugly, eventually leading to violent demonstrations, chaos and communal violence.

Officials claimed there have been instances when fake news of defilement of shrines or holy scriptures were circulated by miscreants and overground workers, and all of the sudden chaos erupted in the valley.

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