PM Modi said that while people must know the dos and don’ts of social interactions, the platform is a bastion of "free speech and creative expression".
Condemning fake news and rumour-mongering on social media, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that while people must know the dos and don’ts of social interactions, the platform is a bastion of "free speech and creative expression" which furthers the spirit of freedom of expression.
"As individuals, we all must know the dos and don’ts of social interactions. The moment a person decides ‘these are the lines I won’t cross, come what may’, then I am sure all aspects will be taken care of," he said in an interview to a leading daily published on Sunday.
Modi said there was a time when one had to be ‘eminent’ to be heard but digital media has changed that.
The power of one Facebook post, Tweet or Instagram story is immense, he told the Times of India.
He said more freely and frankly people express themselves the better it is for our society.
Human creativity is manifested through social media… look at the innovative graphics, videos, tweets that people come across daily, he added.
The Prime Minister said that in a decade on social media, he made "some wonderful friends, particularly young friends."
"I enjoy engaging with citizens on digital platforms. Let us keep engaging and debating, this will strengthen our democratic ethos and benefit us as a nation," he said.
He said that fake news and incidents arising due to rumour-mongering are unfortunate and condemnable and the government is actively engaged with digital media platforms and other stakeholders to check the spread of fake news.
He added that self-realisation and self-restraint is the most effective solution to stop fake news from spreading.
Fake news has become a major concern in recent times with rumours causing incidents of mob lynching, resulting in death.
In the interview, Modi also condemned incidents of mob lynching saying his government is committed to upholding rule of law and protecting the life and liberty of every citizen.
"Our government has issued very clear advisories to states on this issue. I want to make it clear that mob lynching is a crime, no matter the motive. No person can, under any circumstances, take the law into his or her own hands and commit violence," he said.
In another interview with a news agency, PM Modi had yesterday said that everyone should rise above politics to ensure peace and unity in the society.
"It would be a great travesty to reduce these incidents to mere statistics and then indulge in politics over them. That shows a kind of perverse mindset that looks at violence and criminality as something to be milked, instead of unitedly opposing," the Prime Minister told ANI.
"Even a single incident is one too many and deeply unfortunate. Everyone should rise above politics to ensure peace and unity in our society. My party and I have spoken in clear words, on multiple occasions against such actions and such a mindset. It is all on record. Also, we are people who go beyond just words. Look at the actions of our Home Ministry to see how we have acted against violence," he said.
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