Retired school principal detained in Assam for trying to 'politicise' Delhi blast on social media

Guwahati, Nov 11 (PTI) A retired school principal in Assam's Cachar district was detained on Tuesday for allegedly trying to "politicise" the Delhi blast by a social media post, police said.

The police took suo motu cognisance of the matter and summoned Nazrul Islam Barbhuiyan for questioning, Cachar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Partha Protim Das said.

A resident of the Rongpur area in Silchar town, Barbhuiyan was initially taken to the Silchar Sadar Police Station and later to the office of the SSP for interrogation, the police said.

Barbhuiyan, who retired as the principal of Banskandi NMHS School in Cachar, had posted "elections are coming ahead'', while commenting on the Delhi blast, Das said.

The police claimed that the comment was made to “politicise” an incident linked to national security.

“The individual commented on the news of the Delhi blast, citing elections, and tried to politicise a sensitive national security issue. Whether the comment was made with any particular motive is under investigation,” Das said.

Barbhuiyan was "detained to verify the intent and possible impact of his post", he said.

"Given the nature of the incident in Delhi, such remarks can spread misinformation or provoke unnecessary speculation. We are taking this matter seriously,” the SSP said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that many social media users were noticed celebrating after the Delhi blast that claimed 12 lives, and some shared ‘happy’ emojis.

''Are they sympathetic to terrorists? We will take strict action against such comments”, he said.

Assam Police officials said they are maintaining a strict vigil on social media for reactions and posts related to the blast.

The SSP also urged citizens to refrain from sharing unverified or politically motivated content that could interfere with the ongoing investigation.

A high-intensity explosion ripped through a slow-moving car at a traffic signal near the Red Fort metro station in Delhi on Monday evening, killing at least 12 people and injuring many.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each of those killed in the blast.

She also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for those rendered permanently disabled and Rs 2 lakh for those who sustained serious injuries in the explosion. PTI DG DG BDC