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To ensure peace, reliance on social media needs to be checked by citizens themselves: CJI

To ensure peace, reliance on social media needs to be checked by citizens themselves: CJI

Dipak Misra

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Misra blamed social media for the surge stating 'viral texts on the social media' lead to 'mobocracy and loss of life in certain cases'.

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Monday reacted to the rising incidents of mob lynching in the country. Misra blamed social media for the surge stating that "viral texts on the social media" lead to "mobocracy and loss of life in certain cases".

"There is a recent surge in mob lynching, please don't misunderstand me because I have authored the judgement, there is a recent surge in mob lynching based on the viral text on the social media and this leads to mobocracy and loss of life, in certain cases," he noted.

He called for a check on the "blatant reliance on social media" and added that citizens themselves should be cautious of forwards and viral texts on social media applications.

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"The blatant reliance on social media needs to be checked by the citizens themselves to ensure peace and order in the society," the CJI further added.

As many as 30 people have recently been lynched in India over child-lifting rumours. The rumours tend to be forwarded over the Facebook-owned WhatsApp.

The government has since cracked down on the messaging service, telling it to crack down on the rumours.

WhatsApp in turn has said that it is testing a system to limit the forwarding of messages to no more than five people.