UP CM Yogi asks police to maintain strict vigilance on social media to curb cybercrime

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday directed officials to strengthen law and order in the state and maintain strict vigilance on social media to prevent cybercrime.

Addressing the concluding day of the two-day “Police Manthan”, a conclave of senior police officers, the CM urged the police to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against those who disrupt law and order or ethnic and religious harmony through social media.

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He directed the strengthening of technical border security and counterterrorism systems to curb growing terrorist activities and drug trafficking from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal into the state.

He also urged strict action against organised gangs involved in cow smuggling and religious conversions.

Expressing deep concern over challenges such as social media misuse, propaganda, deepfakes, the dark web, cybercrime, and terrorist networks, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the police and intelligence agencies to immediately take cognisance of any objectionable content on social media that impacts law and order, ethnic and religious harmony, and ensure swift and strict action.

The CM clarified that no leniency should be shown towards those who divide society on the basis of caste or religion, exert pressure on the police, or spread anarchy. Such posts, fake accounts, and organised propaganda campaigns should be identified, and strict legal action taken against them.

He said that some anti-social elements are attempting to spread anarchy by creating new organisations and misusing the names of great men. He directed the police to thoroughly investigate the background of such organisations, dismantle their networks, and ensure strict action within the ambit of the law.

Calling religious conversion a serious challenge, the Chief Minister said that incidents like the one in Balrampur indicate that such efforts are being carried out in an organised manner. He directed the police and intelligence agencies to continuously monitor religious conversion activities, strengthen intelligence through social media, and effectively prevent any such incidents at the initial stage.

Praising the police’s work to date, he said that in the current scenario, there is a need to make intelligence, local inputs, and technical surveillance more active and effective. To maintain peace, harmony, and law and order in the state, every activity on social media should be closely monitored and timely action ensured.

Analysing the new dimensions of terrorist activities along the borders with Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, the Chief Minister emphasised the need to further strengthen border surveillance and called for the effective use of artificial intelligence, financial trails, technical analysis, and modern resources to prevent an “internationally funded conversion racket.”

The Chief Minister commended the police for their strong action against terrorism, drug trafficking, and organised crime in the state, and said such efforts must be made more effective and decisive. To achieve this, he directed enhanced departmental coordination and real-time information sharing among security agencies to ensure prompt action and break the morale of criminal networks.

The Chief Minister clarified that in cow smuggling cases, mere immediate arrests are not enough; instead, the entire network and its masterminds must be identified, and the strictest action taken against them. This, he said, will send a strong message against such organised crimes in the state and effectively curb cow smuggling and related crimes. He also praised the police for their action in such cases across the state.

Under the Police Manthan programme, presentations were made on Disaster Management, Civil Defence and Home Guards in Session 8, Large Crowd Management in Session 9, Intelligence and Emerging Challenges like Social Media/NGOs and Nepal Border in Session 10, Anti-Terrorism, Narcotics, Cattle-Theft and Other Organised Crimes in Session 11 etc.