[Bengia Ajum]
NIRJULI, 15 May: On Wednesday night, a social media post by an individual on Facebook created a furore. The person, claiming to be a member of some student organisation, alleged that a beef-catering restaurant here displayed the Pakistani flag. The restaurant was closed at that time.
The post soon went viral, and people started commenting on Facebook, raising concerns. Later, members of the Arunachal ST Bachao Andolan Committee also reached the restaurant and made a similar allegation.
As the post went viral, some netizens on social media tried to clarify that it was not the Pakistani flag but an Islamic religious symbol. By then, sensing the sensitive nature of the situation, the restaurant tried to cover the symbol.
Sensing potential danger of law and order breakdown over the controversy, the Naharlagun police immediately conducted an inquiry.
Talking to this daily, Naharlagun SP Mihin Gambo informed that the police acted quickly to address the issue after the post went viral. “Even though there was no formal complaint, we acted based on a social media post. During the inquiry, we found that the hotel hoarding, which was allegedly displaying the Pakistan flag, is an Islamic religious symbol featuring a crescent moon and star along with the numbers ‘786’. There was no ill-intention on the part of the restaurant’s owner to hurt the sentiments of people,” informed SP Gambo.
The restaurant’s owner voluntarily removed the hoarding to prevent further confusion and misunderstanding.
The building is owned by a local tribal lady, and a trading licence for M/s Ajmat Restaurant and Beef Hotel was issued by the IMC. Further, they also acquired food safety certificate from the Health and Family Welfare Department. The building owner removed the hoarding and handed it over to the Nirjuli police for verification. The restaurant is operated by one Ashfaque Khan, from Jahangirpur village in Sheohar district of Bihar.
Further, the SP assured that police will remain vigilant regarding any antinational activities. “It is crucial to ensure that all actions and symbols displayed in public spaces comply with the law and do not cause misunderstanding or incite any negative sentiment,” said Gambo.
He also appealed to the people to refrain from posting sensitive issues on social media without proper verification.
