There has been a widespread circulation of audio messages on multiple WhatsApp groups. These messages served as a key for spreading rumours about the alleged demolition of the Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque near the Turkman Gate. There are a total of 10 people arrested, and a juvenile was apprehended.
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What had happened?
According to NDTV, the police mentioned, the rumours which said the ‘Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was destroying the mosque’ spread with the help of voice notes shared across community, religious and neighbourhood WhatsApp groups before the court-ordered anti-encroachment drive. The investigators mentioned several WhatsApp groups, which were already under police surveillance when the audio messages began circulating. "Our teams had penetrated these groups and actively countered the false claims. This helped restrict the crowd size and prevented wider mobilisation," a senior police officer said. There are approximately four to five WhatsApp groups that exhibited an aggressive or provocative tone. Those groups were placed under close surveillance, police said.
Immediate action against misinformation
The police officer said, mentioning that senior officers personally confronted people to dispel fear, “When the misinformation started spreading, our ACPs and SHOs reached out to Aman Committee members, community elders and religious leaders to clarify that the mosque would not be touched." The Additional Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan, organised meetings with more than 120 maulvis days before the drive. The officials clearly explained that the only illegal encroachments would be destroyed and that the mosque itself was not part of the action.
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The religious leaders were also notified about the legal remedies they could seek if they wished to challenge the court order. The police officers have also identified at least 10 social media influencers who had spread false claims that the mosque had been demolished. There is one woman influencer who has been summoned for an enquiry.
