5 held in J&K for anti-poll campaign on social media

Just two days ahead of first phase of Assembly polls, the Jammu and Kashmir police have launched a crackdown against people who propagate anti-election campaign on social networking sites.

Sources told Deccan Herald that atleast half a dozen youth have been arrested from different areas of Kashmir Valley in the last two days for allegedly running a Facebook Page “Khanyar Tigers and Tral- Land of martyrs.”

“The arrests were made after online monitoring was carried out by the Cyber Cell of J&K Police. They were uploading anti-election material on these pages and appealing the people to boycott the coming elections,” they said.

Sources added that police have identified more than dozen persons who run anti-election campaign on social networking sites and their arrests are on cards.

Police spokesman SP Manoj Pandita confirmed the arrest of five people. “We will continue to take stringent action against those social media users who promote fake and exaggerated news and poll boycott on their pages,” Pandita told Deccan Herald.