Bandra migrants' protest: Misinformation spread through 11 methods, says state home minister
Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said on Wednesday that the police had "tracked down the accounts" of those behind spreading misinformation regarding commencement of train services. This misinformation may have been a factor behind the protest staged by migrant workers near Mumbai's Bandra station
FollowMumbai: The misinformation regarding commencement of train services, a factor behind the protest staged by migrant workers here, was spread using 11 different methods, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said on Wednesday.
FIRs are being filed in these incidents and appropriate legal action will follow, he said. "Misinformation regarding commencement of trains from April 14, 2020 was spread using 11 different methods. The (social media) accounts have been tracked, FIRs are being filed & due legal consequences will follow,” Deshmukh tweeted.
He asserted that the state government has zero tolerance for rumours. Defying the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, more than 1,000 migrant workers had gathered outside the suburban Bandra railway station on Tuesday afternoon.
The protesting migrants were demanding that the state government make transport arrangements so that they can go back to their native towns and villages.
Also read: Amit Shah calls Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray over Bandra protest
Rumours and false information on social media regarding train services are being cited as one of the reasons for the protest which took authorities by surprise.
A political activist, a journalist from a news channel, nine migrant workers and two other men from Kamothe were arrested on Wednesday for triggering chaos at Bandra railway station on Tuesday evening by giving out false information about movement of long-distance trains. Police said nine migrant workers identified with the help of CCTV cameras have also been arrested for creating a ruckus.
Deshmukh's remarks came hours after he announced the arrest of a Marathi TV journalist over his report on resumption of special trains.
The journalist, Rahul Kulkarni, was detained in Osmanabad in Marathwada region, where he is based, and brought to Mumbai where he was formally arrested.
FIRs are being filed in these incidents and appropriate legal action will follow, he said. "Misinformation regarding commencement of trains from April 14, 2020 was spread using 11 different methods. The (social media) accounts have been tracked, FIRs are being filed & due legal consequences will follow,” Deshmukh tweeted.
He asserted that the state government has zero tolerance for rumours. Defying the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, more than 1,000 migrant workers had gathered outside the suburban Bandra railway station on Tuesday afternoon.
The protesting migrants were demanding that the state government make transport arrangements so that they can go back to their native towns and villages.
Also read: Amit Shah calls Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray over Bandra protest
Rumours and false information on social media regarding train services are being cited as one of the reasons for the protest which took authorities by surprise.
A political activist, a journalist from a news channel, nine migrant workers and two other men from Kamothe were arrested on Wednesday for triggering chaos at Bandra railway station on Tuesday evening by giving out false information about movement of long-distance trains. Police said nine migrant workers identified with the help of CCTV cameras have also been arrested for creating a ruckus.
Deshmukh's remarks came hours after he announced the arrest of a Marathi TV journalist over his report on resumption of special trains.
The journalist, Rahul Kulkarni, was detained in Osmanabad in Marathwada region, where he is based, and brought to Mumbai where he was formally arrested.
Last Updated Apr 16, 2020, 9:34 AM IST
