Showing his annoyance over police investigations in crimes related with social media, Minority Welfare Minister Mohammad Azam Khan said that police should act tough against the people spreading hatred through social media.

“By not taking against rumour mongers the police officers have shown their mentality to control such crime. Such laxity emboldens the people who sow seeds of hatred through social media,” Khan said in a statement issued on Monday.

He said some senior officials have issued statements against crime through social media but it is not enough. The message should go deep down up to the thana level so that police can act.

Director General of Police (DGP) Arvind Kumar Jain, in a fresh directive to the districts last night, said the miscreants, trying to create communal disturbances through social media, should be identified as communal criminals and booked under the Gangster and the NSA Acts. If required, the accused could be debarred from the district while people sharing the objectionable posts would also be booked under same crime.

“UP police has not acted as per the expectation to crush the people involved in posting objectionable photos on the social media but the DGP statement at this juncture is welcomed,” Khan said.

Due to laxity of policemen, most of the offenders were not punished. “If policemen do not take action against the offenders then it would mean that they are working against the government,” Khan said.

He said communal peace prevails from Saharanpur to Faizabad – from western UP to eastern UP – it is mandatory that police act as per the advise of DGP.

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered strict action against those posting objectionable pictures on social media creating communal tension.