Fake news is adding to the anxiety around tensions on the India-Pakistan border

• A few days ago a fake order was doing the rounds about the government scrapping Article 35A.
• The governor Satya Pal Malik had denied any such order, and has asked people to not believe any such rumours.
• Fake WhatsApp messages have also been doing the rounds, which should not be believed without any confirmation.

Tension has gripped Kashmir as thousands of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were asked to clear out of the state citing a terror threat. What is making the matter worse is fake news is spreading at a rapid pace along the India Pakistan border.

The state's governor Satya Pal Malik requested citizens to not believe any news that comes their way, adding that fake news in Kashmir snowballs quickly. “Lot of rumours spread here. Don’t pay heed to this. Everything is normal. Everything is fine,” Malik had said on Tuesday on the sidelines of an event.

The state rumours

The worst of such rumours is one claiming that the state will scrap Article 35A, which gives the state of Jammu & Kashmir special status. Another rumour says that the state will deploy troops to control law & order once the order is passed.

Yet another fake news says that Article 35A has been scrapped, that Jammu is a separate state. And also that Kashmir and Ladakh have turned as union territories.

The governor has denied these rumours saying that there are no plans to scrap Article 35A. He added that there was no such order came from the government.

Meanwhile, ANI reported that the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Baseer Ahmed Khan has said, “No schools in the district have been closed. I appeal to people to not believe any rumours. People should contact their concerned deputy commissioners for reliable information.”

Fake orders too?

After the clarification from the governor, former Chief Minister of J&K Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to express his concern on the necessity to crackdown on fake orders that are circulating in the state.

“This is a very serious matter raised by the Governor. Fake orders were circulated under the signature of senior government officers. This is not something that can be dismissed with a simple sound byte. The CBI must be asked to investigate these fake orders and their origin,” Abdullah said.