Roughly 300 online posts identified as fuelling rumours or contributing to unrest have been removed as part of an effort by Delhi Police to monitor content across social media platforms during ongoing protests, according to police sources. Demonstrations directed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with complaints about how police handled those gatherings, have contributed to a tense environment in the lead-up to this development.
Law enforcement units are monitoring digital networks for doctored footage, unverified claims, and material that officials have assessed as carrying a risk of disrupting civil peace. Posts identified as containing false information or as attempts to provoke disorder are being subjected to additional enforcement measures.
Requests have been directed by police to social media platform X, asking that content tied to the protests — flagged as objectionable or potentially misleading — be taken down. Authorities have described the operation's stated purpose as identifying inaccurate or misleading material and preventing actions that could threaten public order.
A video depicting a law enforcement officer sexually assaulting a female journalist at a protest against the CEC — later determined by authorities to have been fabricated using AI-generated tools — led to the detention of Nadeem Ahmed, 24. That detention preceded the new measures targeting misleading online content by only a few days. Police stated that Ahmed distributed a video they described as misrepresenting a law enforcement officer in an inappropriate way.
Authorities are treating that matter as a distinct inquiry, separate from complaints of sexual harassment that women journalists have brought against police personnel.
Twelve or more members of the press — among them a correspondent from a well-known television network — were taken into custody by Delhi Police while covering the demonstrations. A number of protesters and prominent figures were also detained during the demonstrations, with the absence of an official permit put forward by police as the grounds for their detention.
Protests at Jantar Mantar, where crowds gathered to call for Kumar's removal over alleged voting irregularities, form part of the broader context surrounding these events. Reports of violent conduct and intimidation tactics surfaced alongside the protests. Multiple groups of men reportedly carried out threats and physical attacks on both protesters and journalists at Connaught Place and in the vicinity of the MCD Civic Centre, amid a visible security presence across the city centre.
Security arrangements across central Delhi were tightened following the protests, with access restricted around designated areas of concern and metro services affected as authorities worked to prevent the situation from intensifying. Officers were stationed at the venue in considerable numbers, tasked with maintaining order. Authorities have continued monitoring digital content in an effort to limit the spread of unverified information and rumours that officials have said could inflame public unrest.
