Government Monday blocked over 250 websites and blogs for uploading doctored videos and pictures. By Tuesday, around 275 such websites could be forced offline.

Soon after Centre’s action, social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube have informed the government that inflammatory contents uploaded on their pages have indicated that they have originated from Pakistan.

“The initial response from international social networking sites indicates that such contents have been hosted from outside the country and to a large extent from a neighbouring country (Pakistan),” Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEIT) said in a statement.

The response of these websites came after the government ordered ban on over 250 pages charging that morphed images and videos were uploaded displaying alleged atrocities on Muslims.

The government also said that these led to the fear psychosis among the people of the Northeast and their mass exodus from different parts of the country.

However, one of the intermediary sites has conveyed to the DEIT that uploaders of the inflammatory and hateful contents were outside the jurisdiction of the country, “thereby implying that they are not obliged to take any constructive step to deal with it”.

Exodus: India compiling Pakistan link proof
Ahead of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s three-day visit to Islamabad September 7, the government Monday decided to step up inter-ministerial consultations to compile evidence on the alleged Pakistan origin of the morphed images of Assam violence and blocked over 250 websites for orchestrating the online campaign of hatred.

Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai met Krishna and briefed him about the alleged role of Pakistan-based elements in using morphed images on internet that triggered an exodus of northeastern people from other states, government sources said.

It was decided that the external affairs ministry will await inputs from the home ministry before deciding on how to take up the issue with Pakistan, said the sources.

A final decision on presenting the evidence to Pakistan will be taken after inter-ministerial consultations, said the sources.The government has ordered an investigation into the fake messages on social networking sites.