In the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has expressed serious concern over the role of certain social media platforms and influencers allegedly acting against national interests.
As per an official memorandum issued by the Standing Committee on Information Technology Branch, “Post terror attack in Pahalgam on 22 April, 2025 some social media influencers and social media platforms in the country seem to be working against the interest of the country which is likely to incite violence.”
The committee has requested Ministry of Electronics and IT and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to provide the contemplated action taken to ban such platforms under IT Act 2000 and ‘Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 by May 8.
“The Ministry of Electronics and IT and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting are requested to provide the contemplated action taken to ban such platforms under IT Act 2000 and ‘Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The desired information may be furnished to this Committee by 8 May, 2025, positively,” the memorandum stated.
The terror attack in Pahalgam, J&K, resulted in the tragic loss of 26 lives, most of them tourists.
The government has given the armed forces complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India’s response in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. The government has also announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.
The government convened an all-party meeting after the terror attack, and Opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the perpetrators of the heinous attack.
In the briefing to the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting held a day after the terror attack, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in J&K and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.
India also imposed an immediate ban on the direct or indirect import and transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, regardless of their import status, effectively halting bilateral trade flows, according to a notification by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Further the, government had withheld the X handles of several prominent Pakistani political figures. These include Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The crackdown on digital platforms comes alongside multiple FIRs registered against social media users for allegedly provocative posts related to the Pahalgam attack. The incident has triggered a nationwide security alert, with agencies maintaining high vigilance across sensitive regions.
