Mumbai, March 10: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday announced that the state government will set up a committee headed by the Director General of Police (DGP) to examine ways to curb attempts to defame individuals through social media platforms.
Committee to study social media defamation
Speaking in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly while replying to a question on cybercrimes, Fadnavis said incidents of people being defamed on social media without evidence have increased significantly in recent years, affecting citizens across all sections of society, including women.
“The committee headed by the state DGP will study the issue and suggest measures to take action in cases where individuals are defamed through social media platforms,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the panel will also examine whether existing legal provisions need to be strengthened.
Issue raised by BJP MLA in Assembly
The issue was raised by BJP MLA Rahul Kul, who said that many fake accounts were being created on social media and baseless allegations were being made to malign individuals, including women. He said that while everyone has the right to freedom of expression, others also have the right to live with dignity and that it was the responsibility of the government to protect that right.
Call for stronger legal provisions
During the discussion, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar pointed out that earlier provisions such as Section 66A of the Information Technology Act were used to punish misuse of the internet and social media platforms, but over time the provision had become ineffective. He suggested that the state government should consider strengthening legal measures to address the issue.
Responding to the suggestion, Fadnavis said that earlier Section 66A was invoked along with provisions of the Indian Penal Code, but following several judgments by the Supreme Court of India its application had become limited.
He added that the proposed committee would also examine such suggestions and recommend what legal provisions or amendments may be required to prevent misuse of social media platforms.
Government steps to tackle cybercrime
Earlier, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam informed the House that cybercrimes were evolving with the increasing use of advanced technologies.
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To address the issue, the government has developed a special mobile application to spread awareness among citizens and help them stay alert about cybercrimes. Through the application, around 21 crore awareness messages will be sent every month to educate people about cybercrime and preventive measures, he said.
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