New Delhi: On Tuesday, F Navaz, a 25-year-old technician was arrested from Bengaluru for a social media post in which he questions why no bombs are falling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence. The youth goes on to explain that he means no harm to the PM, but is simply highlighting the difficulties faced by the common man when ‘big people fight.’
Later in the day, the Mumbai Police arrested a youth from Hyderabad for flying a drone near the Taj Mahal Hotel in Colaba – one of the targets of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks – without permission.
In the afternoon, a youth from Manipur was taken into custody from the Kolkata airport for asking security personnel “Am I carrying a bomb”, during a check near the step ladder of an IndiGo flight to Mumbai. The aircraft had to be evacuated and sanitized at an isolation bay.
Officials have urged people to be extremely cautious about what they say and how they behave at this time of crisis. Even well-meaning thoughts or actions can result in arrests and extended detentions at times like these.
“People have a right to express their views. However, the country is now passing through a tough phase. People will have to be very careful about what they post on social media. People can certainly make political statements, but they have to be framed carefully. There can’t be any mention of violence against the Government or the defence forces at a time like this. We have to remember that our adversary is scanning all social media posts to use them in their misinformation campaign,” a senior official said.
Similarly, people should abstain from flying drones at this time. Not only is there a ban on capturing sensitive footage of our defence forces, even vital installations can’t be photographed of filmed. If any social media channel wishes to capture drone footage, clearance has to be sought from local authorities.
“Most importantly, people must learn to co-operate with security agencies during such times. The man arrested from Kolkata airport has said that he felt annoyed after being frisked even after clearing the security check and asked whether he was carrying a bomb. People will have to abstain from such behaviour, particularly at sensitive locations like airports. Use of words such as ‘bombs’ and ‘guns’, even as a joke, are a strict no-no. Youngsters travelling in groups need to be extra cautious as they sometimes tend to go overboard,” another official said.
According to him, there can be multiple security checks, even for those travelling by road. People should not try to evade a security check or drive away. This may be dangerous for them.
“People should realise that these checks are meant for all. Such checks only help in keeping their lives safe. They may not be carrying a bomb, but somebody else might and that could be used against innocents, including their families and friends,” he said.
