india

Updated: Aug 07, 2020 15:49 IST

As protests against the amended citizenship law that started with a march in Delhi’s Jamia Millia University continue to spread, the Union Home Ministry on Monday issued an advisory to state governments to closely track social media messages that have the potential to incite violence.

The Home Ministry advisory comes against the backdrop of a spike in instances of student groups in several parts of the country launching agitations against the law that they fear would be used to isolate undocument migrants of one religion.

In Delhi, home ministry officials had noted with concern attempts on social media to accuse the police of burning a bus as well as fuelling speculation that two people had been killed in police firing. Top officials of Jamia university denied that swirling rumours of death in the police action; so did Delhi Police.

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Home Ministry officials also underscored that concerns around a large number of people getting Indian citizenship under the brand-new law were premature and misplaced since the Centre was yet to finalise the ground-rules. “It is only after this exercise is complete that it can be established how many people get citizenship,” a home ministry official said.

Home Ministry officials also stressed that 2,830 Pakistani, 912 Afghans and 172 Bangladeshi citizens had been given citizenship during the last six years, many of them from the majority community of these three Islamic countries.

Monday’s advisory underlines that it was imperative that state governments take all required measures to contain violence, ensure the protection of life and safety of citizens and prevent damage of property.

State governments and UT administrations have been requested to take requisite precautionary measures to maintain law and order, peace and public tranquility, a home ministry official said quoting the advisory.