RAMBAN — The district administration of Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir banned the operation of at least seven news portals for allegedly peddling fake news and maligning the image of the government.
The portals banned included United News Urdu, VD News, News Verse India, Current News of India, News Bureau of India, Today News Line, and CHRT News Sangaldan and were operating without any registration or permission from the competent authority, the order said.
The official order also alleged that the now-banned news portals were harassing government officials in the district.
Ramban’s Deputy Comissioner Musarrat Islam announced that the decision has been taken under the phase one and in the phase two, all news portals which will fail to produce genuine credentials will be banned as well.
“It is the paramount duty of the district administration to ensure peace and maintenance of law and order within the territorial jurisdiction of district Ramban by preventing operation of illegal news portals peddling fake news and maligning the image of the government,” it said.
“… Whereas, there is every apprehension that if the operations of these fake news portals remain unchecked, the peaceful fabric of the district shall be disturbed…,” Islam said in his order issued under section 144 CrPC.
Islam also said it has become important to prevent the dissemination of fake news in the district by banning the operations of these portals with immediate effect.
“Any person associated with these fake news portals shall be immediately booked under the extant rules governing the subject if found operating in the district and peddling fake news,” the order said, directing the Senior Superintendent of Police of Ramban to implement it in a letter and spirit.