<p>With the Mumbai police unearthing two back-to-back scams – creating fake social media handles and manipulating TRPs – the Maharashtra government on Friday assured thorough probe in both the cases to take it to a logical conclusion.</p>.<p>The constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi - Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress – said that the social media profiles were created to target the Uddhav Thackeray government in wake of the Palghar mob lynching case and the Sushant Singh Rajput episode.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/mumbai-police-to-summon-republic-tv-directors-owners-of-2-other-channels-arrested-for-manipulating-trp-ratings-899103.html" target="_blank">Mumbai police to summon Republic TV directors, owners of 2 other channels arrested for manipulating TRP ratings</a></strong></p>.<p>“There would be detailed probes into both the cases,” state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said.</p>.<p>On the TRP scam and the role of Republic TV and its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, he said, “We will not spare anyone if anything wrong has happened.”</p>.<p>Asked whether the role of opposition BJP will be examined, Deshmukh, who is a senior NCP leader, said, “The investigations are being carried out…let the investigations continue…it would not be proper to comment.”</p>.<p>Meanwhile, journalist-politician and Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said that the TRP scam is shocking. "Journalism is one of the four pillars of our democracy and a scam in this sector running into crores of rupees is shocking. Electronic media is also very important. But this is really unfortunate," he said, adding that the Mumbai Police is being lauded for the investigations.</p>.<p>Raut, the Shiv Sena chief spokesperson, said that Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Deshmukh, and himself were the targets of the channel. </p>.<p>Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant added, “It's neo terrorism - an attempt to sabotage democracy by artificially creating a narrative. Republic TV enjoys support from the Modi government. It's a criminal conspiracy of BJP against the country in which this channel is an accomplice.”</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to probe into the creation of fake accounts to destabilise a government. </p>.<p>“The Mumbai Police in its investigation found around 80,000 fake social media accounts specifically created to target Maharashtra government and Mumbai Police. This issue of social media platforms being used to spread lies and hate to destabilise governments as well as undermine constitutional institutions needs to be investigated,” she said.</p>
<p>With the Mumbai police unearthing two back-to-back scams – creating fake social media handles and manipulating TRPs – the Maharashtra government on Friday assured thorough probe in both the cases to take it to a logical conclusion.</p>.<p>The constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi - Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress – said that the social media profiles were created to target the Uddhav Thackeray government in wake of the Palghar mob lynching case and the Sushant Singh Rajput episode.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/mumbai-police-to-summon-republic-tv-directors-owners-of-2-other-channels-arrested-for-manipulating-trp-ratings-899103.html" target="_blank">Mumbai police to summon Republic TV directors, owners of 2 other channels arrested for manipulating TRP ratings</a></strong></p>.<p>“There would be detailed probes into both the cases,” state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said.</p>.<p>On the TRP scam and the role of Republic TV and its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, he said, “We will not spare anyone if anything wrong has happened.”</p>.<p>Asked whether the role of opposition BJP will be examined, Deshmukh, who is a senior NCP leader, said, “The investigations are being carried out…let the investigations continue…it would not be proper to comment.”</p>.<p>Meanwhile, journalist-politician and Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said that the TRP scam is shocking. "Journalism is one of the four pillars of our democracy and a scam in this sector running into crores of rupees is shocking. Electronic media is also very important. But this is really unfortunate," he said, adding that the Mumbai Police is being lauded for the investigations.</p>.<p>Raut, the Shiv Sena chief spokesperson, said that Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Deshmukh, and himself were the targets of the channel. </p>.<p>Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant added, “It's neo terrorism - an attempt to sabotage democracy by artificially creating a narrative. Republic TV enjoys support from the Modi government. It's a criminal conspiracy of BJP against the country in which this channel is an accomplice.”</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to probe into the creation of fake accounts to destabilise a government. </p>.<p>“The Mumbai Police in its investigation found around 80,000 fake social media accounts specifically created to target Maharashtra government and Mumbai Police. This issue of social media platforms being used to spread lies and hate to destabilise governments as well as undermine constitutional institutions needs to be investigated,” she said.</p>
