NEW DELHI: The Indian government has blamed that the bulk of SMS and MMS that triggered panic among the northeastern people had been traced to Pakistan and a protest would be lodged with Islamabad.
“Pakistan is trying to create trouble by inciting people. This exposes its attempt at cyber warfare against India,” said Union Home Secretary RK Singh.
In bulk of the rumours that triggered panic among the people of northeastern states in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra were sourced from Pakistan, RK Singh said. “A total of 76 websites were identified where morphed images were uploaded and bulk of these were uploadded in Pakistan,” Singh said. “We believe it is highly reprehensible. I think it needs to be made known to everybody that this is something that is being done from Pakistan. The bulk of it has been done from Pakistan,” he said.
He said all these websites had since been blocked. As a step towards rumours being spread, the government has imposed a 15-day ban on bulk SMS and MMS. Apart from these websites, 34 more have been identified and the government was in the process of blocking them soon, he said.
Over 30,000 northeast people have left Bangalore fearing attacks on them while many of them have fled Chennai and Pune in the last three days, notwithstanding assurances from the Centre and the state governments.
The home secretary said the details would be provided to the external affairs ministry so that it could take up the matter with Pakistan.