'Concerned Citizens' demand Gujarat CM action against social media hate

Ahmadabad: The alarming situation prevailing in Gujarat following the murder of Kishan Bharwad in Ahmadabad prompted a group of 'concerned' citizens and activists to write a letter to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in which they demanded police action against hate messages circulating on social media.

The endorsees of the letter addressed the Chief Minister include rights activist Father Cedric Prakash, advocate Anand Yagnik, activists Shamshad Pathan, Mujahid Nahfees, Ambrish Mehta Bhargav Oza, reported The Indian Express.

The 30-year-old Kishan Bharwad was reported to have been succumbed to alleged gun shots fired by two men on January 25 in Dhandhuka. The murder was linked to an objectionable video he had posted on Facebook.

"We, a group of citizens from different parts of Gujarat, would draw your attention to the inflammatory hate messages on social media and public calls for violence against the Muslim community, following the unfortunate, condemnable murder of Kishan Bharwad in Dhandhuka by certain criminal elements..," the letter read.

"Hence in the best interest of Gujarat, we demand to direct the police to track, file FIRs against and apprehend those criminal elements propagating hate messages against the Muslim community in social media (Sic)," the letter read.