Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has issued a strong directive to senior police officials across the state to clamp down on fake news, particularly on social media and digital platforms. Emphasising the need for immediate and decisive action, the Chief Minister said strict measures must be taken against those spreading misinformation, if necessary through legal prosecution.

The instruction came during a high-level virtual review meeting held at Vidhana Soudha on Friday evening, where the CM interacted with senior police officers, city police commissioners, deputy commissioners, and superintendents of police from all districts. The focus of the meeting was to assess the state’s law and order situation and the safety of its citizens.

“There is nothing more important than maintaining law and order in the state. Citizen safety is our top priority,” Siddaramaiah said. He also directed officers to monitor digital platforms continuously, intensify fact-checking efforts, and issue official clarifications at the source when fake news is detected.

In view of growing concerns, the Chief Minister also ordered mock drills at key locations to ensure preparedness for emergencies. He further instructed police to keep a close watch on illegal stockpiling and black marketing of essential goods, especially amid reports of artificial price hikes.

Additional key directives issued during the meeting included:

Strengthening intelligence networks and enhancing security at public service institutions.

Developing district and state-level contingency guidelines to handle potential disturbances.

Increasing vigilance at sensitive national and strategic locations.

The meeting was attended by Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority Chairman H M Revanna, Chief Secretary Dr Shalini Rajneesh, Additional Chief Secretary L K Atheeq, DGP Alok Mohan, ADGP Hitendra, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda, and other senior police officials.