Hashtag Campaigns Aimed To Create Panic In Delhi, Say Government Sources

The cyber unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is keeping a close tab on the hashtag campaign being run online to allegedly slander Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Police in view of the recent violence in the national capital that left over 40 dead and hundreds injured.

Through this hashtag campaign some people want to malign police and the government internationally, intelligence sources say.

"Hundreds of accounts have been created since last week and they have been promoting hate online," a senior functionary discloses.

According to him, new hashtag campaigns were being promoted today to create panic in the national capital via Twitter.

Strict watch is being kept on all social media platforms, a senior officer says. The officer also says that hate messages were sent to college students to tweet and "take part in the campaign".

"This is against the #pogrom and communal violence in Delhi. Please type your own tweets using these samples as a reference and tag as many handles from the list below. You can also post photos, press releases, statements and videos with the tweets," read the message which was allegedly circulated in among the students.

Hashtags which were being used included #ShaheenBagh #DelhiPoliceMurders #JusticeforFaizan, officials say. Other alternative hashtags that started circulating were #AAPsharamkaro #AmitShahResign #DelhiViolence2020 #GoBackAmitShah

"Sample messages were also passed on to students. The idea was to make these hashtags trend and create embarrassment for government internationally too," explains a senior Home Ministry official.

According to him, samples which were sent to students included messages on Faizan, the young man who was brutally beaten up and made to sing the national anthem by Delhi Police. He later died of his injuries.

Here are some tweets below that surfaced online:

"The @DelhiPolice needs to be held accountable for the death of Faizan who died in police custody without any medical aid!"

"Justice for Faizan. Home Minister @AmitShah must resign."

"Faizan, one of the 5 men made to sing national anthem after being brutally assaulted by police, has died in custody. @DelhiPolice murdered him."

"No response from @DelhiPolice @HMOIndia @AmitShah over the death of Faizan in police custody. We demand justice!"

"@DelhiPolice arrest hatemongers like Anurag Thakur and Kapil Mishra."

As per officials monitoring hate online, people on Twitter were asked to tag these above messages to some media houses, politicians and also some prominent journalists.

"Please tag at least 5 or 6 of these handles with your tweets. A detailed list of twitter handles was attached. Some of which included @DelhiPolice @HMOIndia @PMOIndia @AamAadmiParty @RahulGandhi etc," read the message which was being circulated.

"Some anti-social elements have nefarious designs to incite passions and vitiate the harmony of city. But we need to keep calm and defeat them in their purpose," a senior police officer says.