Uttarakhand Police file FIRs against social media handles for denigrating Kedarnath pilgrimage

The Uttarakhand Police has filed three FIRs against social media handles for posting videos denouncing the Chardham pilgrimage to Kedarnath that started on April 22. According to the police, the videos in question were spreading misleading information about the police and the pilgrimage.

The FIRs were filed by the Rudraprayag Police after the videos went viral alleging that pilgrims returned without darshan at the Kedarnath temple, devotees were forced to wait for more than 15 hours and the police management was utterly poor on the pilgrimage route.

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The police said the contents of the videos carried misleading and offensive information about state police and difficulties faced by the pilgrims.

The FIRs read that several videos and reels were identified for making false and unfounded claims about the arrangements at the Kedarnath pilgrimage during social media monitoring by the police. “These posts spread misinformation alleging that devotees were being sent back without darshan, they were unable to visit the deity despite standing in queues for 15 hours, pilgrims were manhandled by the police and there was utter lack of police management amidst public chaos.”

It stated that the ground reality is contrary to what the video contents claimed. “The administration has ensured that devotees can perform darshan systematically in phases in a properly regulated manner. These misleading videos were an attempt to confuse the general public, tarnish the image of the Chardham Pilgrimage and create an atmosphere of fear and distrust in the masses,” claimed the FIR by the social media monitoring head and sub inspector Ravindra Singh Rawat.

According to the police, investigation is on and efforts are being made to trace the video makers named in the FIR.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed the officials for early, strict, and effective legal action against the people trying to spread misinformation, rumours, or propaganda as to the pilgrimage. He has ordered continuous monitoring of social media platforms to identify such elements and bring them to justice.

Meanwhile, the Rudraprayag Police stated that legal action against the operators of erring social media handles is in progress even as other suspicious videos and digital contents are being probed. More social media handles likely to be booked by the police shortly.