Facebook, Twitter in focus after rumours over NE people

Members in both Houses of Parliament alleged that the social networking sites were being used to spread wrong, distorted and provocative content.

Kunal Kumar Ghosh (Trinamool) said in the Rajya Sabha that the social networking sites were largely responsible for creating a situation of panic in parts of the country following the Assam incident.

"...In this era of information technology, while we have made progress in many fields, many irresponsible people deliberately use the social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and emails to project a distorted picture of the incidents among the people," Ghosh said participating a discussion on Assam violence.

"I would appeal to all of you to let us preserve the freedom of speech, but at the same time, we must also put immediate control over rumour-mongering activities enacted through sites like Facebook, Tweeter, and blogs," he said.

Ghosh said it would not be prudent to allow an individual to be left free to spread the seeds of poison and create anarchy in other parts of the country using social networking sites.

"I believe all political parties and people irrespective of caste and creed are united over this issue," he said.

Incidentally, in West Bengal which is ruled by Trinamool Congress, two persons, including a professor, were arrested recently for posting online a cartoon allegedly derogatory of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (MORE)