Govt rebuts The Wire report, warns
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR

Imphal, August 19 2024: It is to bring to the information of the public that except for some very low scale sporadic incidents, the law-and-order situation in the state has improved in the last 3-4 months with relentless efforts of the state and central governments and there is no large-scale confrontation.

In this regard, the state government appreciates the efforts put by security agencies including both central and state forces.

Unfortunately, the state government had to issue press release dated 07-08-2024 on the viral doctored audio clips 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.

Accordingly, one FIR No 34(8) 2024 CCPS dated 07-08-2024 had been registered in Cyber Crime PS in this regard and investigation is going on.

Similarly, such contents have been found widely circulating through social media and news report of certain news agencies, more particularly, 'The WIRE' vide URL: (i) https://thewire.in/government/manipur-tapes-biren-singh-bombs-amit-shah-commission, (ii) https://thewire.in/government/manipur-tapes-biren-singh-kuki-posts-conflict-credit.

In this regard, it is clarified that 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.

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.

Therefore, the 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.

Further, 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.

Meanwhile, the clarification note issued by the DIPR also referred to an earlier notice of the government regarding an audio recording, falsely claiming to be that of the Manipur chief minister.

Terming the doctored audio as malicious attempt by certain sections to incite communal violence or to derail the process of peace that has been initiated at multiple levels, it mentioned: "Our social media analysis indicates that a coordinated and targeted campaign is underway, with numerous X (formerly Twitter) accounts sharing the audio with similar captions.

The Manipur police is actively investigating the matter and is committed to uncovering the origins of the defamatory campaign.

Legal action will be taken against all individuals and organisations involved in this conspiracy.

We urge the public to remain vigilant and refrain from sharing unverified information.

The restoration of peace and harmony amongst our communities is of utmost importance at this juncture more than ever.

State government will not tolerate any action that threaten to disrupt the peace process" .

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