Responding to the reports published by The Wire on the allegedly doctored audio clips of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, the state government on Monday issued a strong warning that those involved in spreading such “false and fabricated information” through any media will be prosecuted.
In a three-part serial, The Wire had reported on a controversial audio clip, which had been ‘submitted’ to the Commission of Inquiry set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs to inquire into the Manipur violence raging in the state since May 3, 2023.
The Wire said that this material was submitted to the commission along with an affidavit attesting to its authenticity from the person/s who made the recording.
The state government views such acts of spreading misinformation/ disinformation through such doctored clips as anti - national activities for likelihood of inciting hatred and mistrust amongst communities thereby, trying deliberately to disturb peaceful co-existence of communities to escalate the current law and order issues in the state more particularly to derail the peace initiatives being started by both state and central governments, stated a release issued by the DIPR.
The general public are hereby clarified and appealed for not relying on such unfounded contents circulating in social media and news reports and also to refrain from involvement in spreading such false and fabricated information through any media, said.
Anybody without exception shall be prosecuted under relevant provisions of laws of the land, if found involved in spreading such unfounded and baseless contents through any media or posting and sharing of such contents, which will escalate law and order issues in the State and derail the efforts put so far toward bring normalcy and peace in the state, it mentioned.
Concerning the viral audio clip, the state government had issued a release August 7 stating that the clip was meant to incite communal violence and derail various peace initiatives being started by both state and central governments at multiple levels, thereby claiming the doctored clips to be that of the chief minister, it mentioned.
Accordingly, one FIR No. 34(8) 2024 CCPS dated August 7, 2024 had been registered in Cyber Crime PS in this regard and investigation is going on, it mentioned. It also provided links to the reports published by The Wire.
It further clarified that the incidents of shelling of rockets and bombs in fringe areas like Kangvai, areas bordering Bishnupur, Imphal East, Moreh, Jiribam, etc by miscreants have been reported from time to time and State Police and other Security Agencies had been taking up steps to book the culprits and to deter them.
Many FIRs have been registered in this regard and investigations are going on through agencies like NIA, etc. So far, security agencies have been able to control such incidents to great extent, it mentioned.
Except for some very low scale sporadic incidents, the law-and-order situation in the state has improved in the last three-four months with relentless efforts of the state and central governments and there is no large-scale confrontation, it said.
The state government appreciates the efforts put by security agencies including both central and state forces, it mentioned.
