The Uttarakhand government is taking strong action against the spread of false and unverified information regarding the Char Dham Yatra on social media. Police have filed three FIRs in response to misleading content, with two new FIRs in Rudraprayag district. This crackdown comes after monitoring social media platforms where misleading videos and reels about Kedarnath Dham were discovered.
Officials have refuted claims in these posts that pilgrims were being denied “darshan,” facing long queues of up to 15 hours, and experiencing a lack of police presence and crowd control. They clarified that pilgrims are being assisted in an organized manner with proper arrangements for a smooth pilgrimage experience. The government emphasized that circulating such content aims to create confusion, tarnish the image of the pilgrimage, and instill unnecessary fear among the public.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed officials to take immediate legal action against those spreading misinformation about the pilgrimage. He has also urged continuous monitoring of social media to identify and take action against individuals responsible for such content. Legal proceedings have commenced against the operators of identified social media accounts, with further scrutiny of suspicious videos and digital content underway.
The state government has reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards any attempts to undermine the sanctity of the Char Dham Yatra, hurt devotees’ sentiments, or damage Uttarakhand’s reputation. Strict actions will persist against those involved in spreading misinformation related to the pilgrimage.
