logo
Parliament Panel Seeks Report On Action Against Social Platforms Over 'Anti-National' Content

Parliament Panel Seeks Report On Action Against Social Platforms Over 'Anti-National' Content

News1805-05-2025
A parliamentary panel has sought details from two key government ministries on the action they have planned against social media platforms over 'anti-national' content
A parliamentary panel has sought details from two key government ministries overseeing information flow on the action they have planned against social media platforms and influencers who "seem to be working against national interest" following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Parliament's Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has noted that some social media influencers and platforms in the country seem to be working against the interest of the country which is likely to incite violence, sources said.
The Committee in its communication to the ministries of Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology has sought details of the "contemplated action taken to ban such platforms under IT Act 2000 and Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021".
The letter, the sources added, has been sent to the respective secretaries of the two ministries and they have been asked to submit details by May 8.
Several social media handles have been banned on different platforms after they allegedly posted content against national security interests.
At least 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were gunned down by terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22, with India blaming terror groups linked to Pakistan for the horrific incident.
In a post on X, Gokhale said, "To make it clear — the Parliament IT Committee has not said this. As a member, I have neither received any communication nor have I signed anything saying this." "Under Parliamentary Rules, a Chairman cannot issue any letter he wants without seeking approval of the committee. Parliamentary Committees are sacrosanct and should not be hijacked for political agendas," he said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)
First Published:
May 05, 2025, 23:43 IST
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Our development will reach Muslims even sans their vote: BJP's new Bengal chief
Our development will reach Muslims even sans their vote: BJP's new Bengal chief

India Today

time41 minutes ago

  • India Today

Our development will reach Muslims even sans their vote: BJP's new Bengal chief

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya—a seasoned Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member—has been entrusted with presidency of the party in West Bengal in the run-up to the assembly polls next year. The appointment is being seen as recognition of his ability to act as a bridge between the old and new guards in the state unit and bringing a distinctly Bengali ideological sensibility to the political for his deep-rooted connection with Bengali culture—as a soft-spoken bhadralok who often quotes poets Shankha Ghosh and Shakti Chattopadhyay—Bhattacharya is seeking to reposition the BJP beyond personality-centric politics in the his first public addresses, Bhattacharya projected an inclusive vision: protecting Bengal's plural identity, encouraging harmony between Hindus and Muslims and advocating education over violence. He urged 'nationalist Muslims' to work alongside the BJP to counter radicalisation, signalling a conscious outreach beyond the party's traditional BJP leaders and cadre, Bhattacharya's message is clear: party before self. He has sent subtle signals of collaboration with veterans such as Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and former Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, stressing that the organisation is greater than any individual. Bhattacharya has also called upon anti-Trinamool Congress parties, including the Left, to join forces to oust the Mamata Banerjee's government in 2026. He appears eager to weave Bengali ethos into the BJP's broader narrative, forging new alliances while reviving its grassroots vigour. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:Q. You have taken charge at a critical time in Bengal. What is the blueprint you intend to follow in the run-up to assembly elections?A. The BJP's style of functioning is built on structure and continuity. We were already preparing a roadmap for January 2026. From there on, we will transition to our plan for April, when we expect the elections to take place. This process began even before I became state president. That is the strength of our organisational backbone—we move forward with consistency.Q. How do you see the political situation on the ground?A. What we're dealing with in Bengal is multilayered. There's one kind of leadership in this house (BJP) and quite another in the house across the street (Trinamool Congress). And there's a difference. Bengal has a unique political grammar—Hindu Bengalis, Leftists, caste-based groups, Muslims, each with its own posture and are confronting rampant illegal immigration. The Rohingyas have been systematically settled here. If this continues unchecked and the Trinamool returns to power through these tactics, then mark my words: what you saw in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly (such as most MLAs being Muslims) will be repeated in the West Bengal assembly. That is the situation unfolding before the people of Bengal. Even those who would never vote for the BJP—the traditional Left, the self-declared progressives—have begun to recognise the warning signs, especially after the recent events in How do you see the Bangladesh situation?A. We have seen bullets being fired. The leader of the Communist Party of Bangladesh—a Hindu—was the first to be murdered. Back home in Murshidabad, a Trinamool MLA's family had to flee. These aren't ideological talking points—these are lived Gandhi, who created Bangladesh, is now dishonoured there—her effigy urinated upon. A library named after her was burnt down, destroying 70,000 books, including works by Abul Bashar, Badal Sircar and Bratya Basu. This is Islamist fascism, blinded by religion. Islamic fundamentalist forces—the same ones operating in Pakistan—are using Bangladesh as a launch-pad to spread their influence across India.Q. How does all this impact Bengal?A. What is unfolding in Kolkata should concern everyone—a city stripped of dignity, aesthetics and order. Lawlessness parades openly because the state government, propped up by fear rather than legitimacy, has no moral authority. If the government continues to act with such impunity—whether by claiming to be a welfare state or by adopting totalitarian tendencies—the outcome will be at Pakistan, the only country created explicitly in the name of religion. If that logic had prevailed globally, we wouldn't have had 22 separate countries in the Arab League. Many of these nations aren't exclusively Muslim. Those now cheering Pakistan from Bangladesh have forgotten history. In the Jessore Cantonment, over 150,000 women were raped. It's a legacy of trauma carved into stone. And here we are, watching the West Bengal government turn a blind eye to these was always said about Bangladesh that 'We are not separate in Dhaka and Kolkata'. We made films together, shared literature. We still do. But this bond is being sabotaged. From 1936 to 1949, East Pakistan faced constant upheaval. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who wasn't affiliated with any political party at the time, reached out to Subhas Chandra Bose and his brother Sarat Bose, seeking their help. Mookerjee had been an academic. But the worsening Hindu crisis drew him into there is an exodus of capital and skill from Bengal. The highly educated are underpaid IT majdoors while their counterparts in Bengaluru, Chennai or Delhi thrive. The less-educated build Delhi's buildings, run Noida's kitchens and power Gurugram's hotels, yet remain invisible in their own an identity crisis. People in Delhi's posh Bengali neighbourhood, Chittaranjan Park, now hesitate to admit their roots. The cultural pride of Bengal has collapsed. And this rot is political, fuelled by bomb politics, civic volunteers-turned-enforcers and a complete absence of healthy public discourse.Q. What has been the BJP's response?A. We aren't doing anything extraordinary—we are just trying to restore order. But even that is seen as confrontation. The Trinamool Congress, without police and civic volunteers, cannot win even one election booth. They dominate not through popularity but intimidation. We are doing politics in this poisoned landscape. Still, we believe we can change Bengal's political narrative just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed India's. Today, democracy is our religion and development our children in Bengal are being forced to migrate. Where are the children of Trinamool leaders like Javed Khan and Firhad Hakim studying? Abroad. Meanwhile, the poor are sent to Khariji madrasas or, worse still, handed stones and swords. That isn't education; it's appeal to everyone: social reform is non-negotiable. We must win people's minds, not just votes. The BJP has never claimed to win 100 per cent support [of Hindus]. In many booths, we got just 5-7 votes. But we are growing. We've broken barriers in places like Kaliganj during the recent bypoll. Muslim voters, too, are realising that the BJP will be in power at the Centre for at least 20 more years. They now understand that the Centre is working for them, not treating them as You sound more receptive towards Muslims than Suvendu Adhikari, who has publicly called for Hindu consolidation and said that the BJP can win the Bengal polls without the support of Muslims.A. What I and Suvendu Adhikari are saying are not contradictory. Suvendu is the Leader of the Opposition. He has been heckled, insulted, even manhandled, in Muslim-dominated areas. But we all want inclusive development and growth in Bengal. Even if the Muslims do not vote for us, our development must and will reach their why am I referencing Bangladesh? Look at the silence surrounding gang-rapes there. Mujibur Rahman's legacy is invoked, yet a chit fund operator—awarded the Nobel Prize—is now the head of their government. Meanwhile, Islamic fundamentalism is rising and no one are spreading this message across Bengal and beyond—that India is moving forward but Bengal is stuck. After Partition, Sindh was lost. Half of Punjab is gone. Bengal, too, lost half of itself. But Bengal will not be divided along religious lines again. This is a powerful movement. We do not want power for power's sake. Bengal deserves a civilised society.Q. Many Bengali-speaking migrant workers from Bengal are being labelled as Bangladeshis and deported. Secondly, the NREGA fund freeze by the Centre—stopping the funds didn't help the BJP. The Lok Sabha poll results are proof of that.A. The Centre cannot bypass court orders. Clause 27 of the MGNREGA Act justifies the freeze. Irregularities cannot be overlooked. The court has permitted the Centre to continue the investigations. Even the state has acknowledged in court that corruption for migrant labourers, I was the first to raise the issue. During my time as MLA of Basirhat Dakshin (September 2014 to May 2016), I spoke to several Trinamool leaders and ministers. I urged them to help labourers—mostly Muslims—facing hardships in southern Indian cities such as Chennai. No one did.I finally asked these labourers if they would accept help from the local RSS. Their only problem was shelter. The RSS gave them food, even baby food for their children. These people came back and supported me in the state elections in 2016. I lost but because they had supported me, Trinamool goons razed their homes. This is why I say that Muslims are not safe under the Trinamool. A change is imminent in 2026.Q. But is the BJP organisationally strong enough to take on the Trinamool? Will the party, for instance, be able to deploy booth agents everywhere?A. The post-poll violence of 2021 certainly damaged our organisation. People got scared. But that's no longer the case. In 2026, you will see that the BJP will have its men in most booths in Bengal. People are waiting to topple this government. The binary was set in 2019, and it held firm through the recent Kaliganj bypoll. The people have decided: the BJP will form the government in Bengal in to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch

Opposition Raises Law And Order Question After Punjab Businessman Shot Dead
Opposition Raises Law And Order Question After Punjab Businessman Shot Dead

NDTV

time42 minutes ago

  • NDTV

Opposition Raises Law And Order Question After Punjab Businessman Shot Dead

The Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government is facing a barrage of questions and the heat from the Opposition after a businessman was shot dead in Abohar in Fazilka district Monday. Sanjay Verma, a co-owner of the 'New Wear Well Gents Tailor' showroom, was shot dead near Bhagat Singh Chowk, a bustling commercial area in Abohar. He had just stepped out of his car near his showroom when he was shot several times. Blaming the Centre, AAP's Punjab chief and cabinet minister Aman Arora has claimed that the attacks are being orchestrated by criminals languishing in jails and the businessman of Abohar was one of the victims of jailed gangster conspiracies. Mr Arora accused the BJP-led Central Government of shielding Lawrence Bishnoi by keeping him in Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail and restricting his transfer. "Why AAP-led Chief Minister, who is also Home Minister of Punjab, not approaching any BJP-ruled state from where these gangsters are operating if the government is serious about maintaining law and order in the state," Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa told NDTV. Soon after the killing, a social media post had surfaced, in which someone claimed the responsibility for the killing. "Someone took responsibility. However, we will investigate whether this was done to confuse us... Initial investigation suggests three people were on a motorcycle; an update on their involvement will follow. CCTV footage and other materials assist us in solving the case," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Ferozepur Range, Harmanbir Singh Gill, had told reporters. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said the law and order in Punjab has "plummeted to its lowest point." "The shocking daylight murder of Sanjay Verma, owner of The New Wear Well Tailors in Abohar, underscores the prevailing jungle raaj. Businessmen and professionals including doctors, artists & athletes are facing grave threats from extortionists," he said. "I strongly condemn this brutal killing and offer heartfelt condolences to the Verma family. The perpetrators must be arrested immediately and brought to justice," Mr Badal said further. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said the killing was an "eerie reminder" of Punjab's law and order collapsing. "Deafening silence of the AAP Government after each such killing only emboldens the gangsters. CM Bhagwant Mann must tell Punjabis who is responsible for this blot on Punjab's name. Wake up, it's already too late," Mr Jakhar said on X. Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. "CM @BhagwantMann must resign! Punjab's law and order is in shambles. The govt must hold a serious discussion on public safety in the upcoming Assembly session," Mr Bajwa said, adding, Punjab is being ruled by gangsters. The leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly also said, "This is not governance. This is complete lawlessness. @AAPPunjab has handed Punjab over to bullets and bloodshed." Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring alleged that Punjab was turning into a "gangland" under the Aam Aadmi Party's rule. Mr Warring also referred to the killing of a Moga doctor, Aniljit Kambhoj, to condemn the state's law and order. "... In both the incidents criminal gangs are suspected to be involved. What is the @PunjabPoliceInd doing? This calls for stringent action lest the situation gets completely out of control," Mr Warring said on X.

Congress mocks Smriti Irani's return to TV. ‘Everyone returning to original professions'
Congress mocks Smriti Irani's return to TV. ‘Everyone returning to original professions'

The Print

timean hour ago

  • The Print

Congress mocks Smriti Irani's return to TV. ‘Everyone returning to original professions'

A former Star employee shared a nostalgic post about how the show ruled every home. Congress handles have, however, used it as an opportunity to mock the former minister. Priti Gandhi, a political analyst for the BJP, wished Irani on her return to acting after two decades. 'Even after 25 years, Tulsi Virani continues to hold a special place in people's hearts,' she wrote on X. New Delhi: Former education minister Smriti Irani is reprising her role as Tulsi Virani in Ekta Kapoor's magnum opus Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi after 17 years. Her return to acting was announced through a promotional video on Instagram. The video immediately started circulating on social media, with fans, other actors, and even politicians reacting to the upcoming show. The official X account for Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee posted a cheeky reaction to Irani's announcement, even while wishing her 'a great acting career ahead'. The post thanked Kishori Lal Sharma, who defeated Irani in Amethi, indicating that her loss prompted the former minister to return to TV. Surendra Rajput, the National Media Panelist of Congress, also took a dig at Irani. He wrote in Hindi that Congress is helping everyone return to their original professions, which the BJP had taken away from them, adding that no one would remain unemployed. A former BJP social media strategist shared a pointed response to those mocking Irani's new stint. 'Trolls & opposition memes can't dim the light of a woman who rose on her own merit,' wrote Shobhit Agarwal. Also read: Partners today seek dopamine from phones, not each other: Anurag Basu A 25-year-long relationship The promotional video starts with a family dining and debating whether Irani will return to the show, as the title track of the serial plays on a TV. The viewers then get a glimpse of Irani watering a tulsi plant. She smiles, looks into the camera, and says: 'Zaroor aaungi, kyuki humara 25 saalon ka rishta jo hai. Waqt aagaya hai apse phir milne ka (I'll definitely come because we have a 25-year-long relationship. The time has come to meet you again).' It has over 23 lakh views and 70,000 likes on Instagram. 'Kya aap abhi bhi vishwaas nahi kar paa rahe? 25 saal ke baad, Tulsi Virani laut rahi hai, ek nayi kahaani ke saath (Are you still not convinced? After 25 years, Tulsi Virani is returning with a new story),' read the caption. Irani's return has created anticipation among TV actors too. Actor Hiten Tejwani, who played the role of Tulsi's son in the serial, wrote 'Super' under the Instagram Reel. 'This show is legacy and pure childhood memories,' wrote TV actor Shivya Pathania, who played Sita in the series, Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi also featured Amar Upadhyay, Apara Mehta, and Mouni Roy. Created by Ekta Kapoor in 2000, the serial aired for right years, with over 1,800 episodes. The show will return to Star Plus on 29 July. (Edited by Prasanna Jayraj Bachchhav)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store