According to a request received by the Information and Technology department, the state police gave addresses of some pages of social networking site Facebook allegedly spreading rumours and false information apparently to disrupt normal life in the Valley after the revered 200-year-old shrine was gutted down on Monday.
During the summer unrest in 2010, certain anti-national elements took to the social networking sites to spread misinformation about police firing and stone pelting in a virulent manner.
However, taking a cue from the past, the state government was quick enough in not only identifying the rumour mongers but also making a request to the social networking sites through the I-T department.
The pages showed some offensive pictures of Kashmir Valley accompanied by anti-national and provocative slogans after the shrine was destroyed in the fire.
The authorities were worried about its potential to disrupt law and order in the Valley.
In certain cases, disturbing pictures during the unrest in 2010 were put by some people apparently to fan trouble especially in the sensitive downtown areas of Srinagar.
The social networking site was also quick enough in its response in blocking these pages, sources said today.
Meanwhile, the state government has been appealing to people not to fall prey to the disinformation campaign spread by some anti-social elements in the Valley.
