Lucknow,

23 Dec (HS): Uttar Pradesh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna

told the state Assembly on Tuesday that cyber offences, such as the

distribution of obscene and offensive content on social media, can result in

fines of up to Rs one crore and imprisonment for up to seven years, and that

the government has put in place a strong mechanism to deal with such incidents.

Khanna

responded to a question during Question Hour by saying that if offensive,

defamatory, or illegal information is shared on social media, prompt action is

taken. He

stated that such situations are reported by district superintendents of police

and station house officers to the cyber wing, including the DIG (cyber), which

allows problematic information to be quickly removed, even when the servers are

situated abroad.

He

stated that in issues of national security, the special secretary (home) has

been authorized to take cognizance and undertake relevant actions. The minister

stated that action is taken purely based on the basis of the complaint

received. Hriday Narayan Singh Patel, a Samajwadi Party MLA, raised concerns

about selective action in instances involving social media posts, claiming that

powerful accounts and so-called influencers who promote obscenity and abusive

information frequently avoid rigorous prosecution.

He

highlighted examples from his area, Sagdhi in Azamgarh, to ask if enforcement

authorities check the political affiliations of material providers before

acting. Khanna stated that the government has improved cyber policing

throughout the state, claiming that formerly, just two police stations handled

cybercrime cases, however today cyber facilities are accessible in every

district and police station.

He

stated that 84,705 officers have been trained thus far, and over 65,000

awareness workshops have been held at the police station level across Uttar

Pradesh to educate teachers, traders, students, and the general public on cyber

laws and safeguards. He went on to say that the government is working not only

on punishment, but also on prevention and awareness, because the misuse of

social media through harsh language, disinformation, and personal vengeance is

a major worry. Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana intervened in the discussion,

stating that the topic is critical, particularly for individuals in public and

political life who are frequently subjected to disinformation and nasty

internet remarks.

Mahana

encouraged the government to develop a robust policy framework that would

ensure exemplary punishment in proved cases. The message will not spread until

a few people face severe punishment, Mahana said, adding that while everyone

has the right to voice their opinions, the dissemination of misleading

information, filthy language, and offensive content on social media is terrible

and must be properly curtailed. Khanna elaborated, saying that the legislation

provides for up to three years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh for

spreading obscene content, in addition to tougher punishments in other

cybercrime instances. He stated that data on convictions will be made

available.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi