Northeast Exodus: India Seeks U.S. Help to Track Offensive Content

Bangalore: With the morphed images causing an exceptional exodus of northeastern people from major cities in the country, the government blocked over 250 websites for uploading doctored videos and pictures.

The clearout on websites followed a similar blocking of around 80 Internet pages and user accounts spreading hate messages on a slide of social networking sites, including Facebook, Google and Twitter.

The sites were found to be containing hostile propaganda and rumors that sought to arouse violence targeting the people from northeast and to whip up panic among them.

The government had ordered to block 76 Internet sites, with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde saying that these sites were fed by elements in Pakistan to spark panic among people of northeastern states in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

The government then ordered an investigation into the fake messages on social networking sites. The home ministry is compiling evidence and is in consultation with the external affairs ministry over how to present the proof to Pakistan.

The government is also contemplating to take up the CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team-India) findings at the international forum as it has turned out to be the main instance of cyber warfare on India in recent times.