Bhubaneswar: Odisha Home Department on Saturday imposed a 48-hour ban on social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and others, in Bhadrak district after Bhadrak district witnessed violence at Santhia area on Friday night over a contentious social media post.
The ban, issued by the Home Department under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services Rules, 2017, restricts access to social media platforms through internet and data services.
“Whereas, messaging platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook, X and other such media etc. have the potential to inflame communal tension thereby leading to acts causing disturbance of public order in Bhadrak district. Now therefore, in order to prevent the spread of such inflammatory and motivated messages to circulate in the above mentioned media to disturb the public order in whole Bhadrak district and restore peace and amity,” read the notification issued by the Additional Chief Secretary Satyabrat Sahu.
It is worth noting that tension gripped the Santhia area in Bhadrak district on Friday after a protest against a controversial social media post turned violent, leaving three senior police officials seriously injured. The vehicle of the Bhadrak Tehsildar was also heavily damaged in the chaos. The district administration has clamped prohibitory orders under section 163 BNSS in the area for an indefinite period as part of measures to prevent further violence.
