Odisha govt imposes 24-hour social media ban in Cuttack amid communal pressure

The Mohan Charan Majhi-led Odisha authorities on Sunday introduced a brief ban on social media platforms, together with WhatsApp, Fb, and X (previously Twitter), throughout a number of elements of Cuttack following clashes between two teams that led to incidents of violence within the metropolis.

In keeping with an official notification, the restrictions got here into power from 7 pm on Sunday and can stay in place till 7 pm on Monday. Furthermore, the ban covers the Cuttack Municipal Company space, Cuttack Growth Authority (CDA) area, and the 42 Mouza zone.

The notification said that the choice was taken after the district administration raised issues over the attainable misuse of the web and social media platforms to unfold false, provocative, and inflammatory messages, which may escalate communal pressure and disturb public order.
Furthermore, the order invokes Part 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and directs a whole suspension of:

• Messaging and social media companies comparable to WhatsApp, Fb, Instagram, Snapchat, X, and others.
• Cellular web and knowledge companies of all telecom operators.
• Web and knowledge companies of Web Service Suppliers (ISPs).
• Broadband, dial-up, and every other types of on-line transmission.

The transfer was geared toward stopping the circulation of inflammatory and deceptive content material and restoring peace and concord within the affected areas, stated the memo.

In the meantime, police and administrative officers had been deployed throughout delicate zones in Cuttack to take care of order.