MHA to probe social media leaks of PM Narendra Modi’s itineraries

NEW DELHI: After sending multiple communications regarding leaks of the Prime Minister’s domestic itineraries on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook and mobile application WhatsApp, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is planning to launch a probe. Last year, in nine months, the MHA wrote two letters to chief secretaries and the directors general of Central armed police forces regarding the leaks. A decision to probe the matter was taken after the Special Protection Group again complained about the leaks of the secret itineraries of VIPs last month.

In January this year, an advisory was issued to all officers involved in the security of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other VIPs, asking them not to use social networking sites to informally send the itineraries. According to the advisory, issued by the Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless, a nodal advisory body to the Ministry of Home Affairs for police telecommunications in the country, officers have been asked not to use WhatsApp to forward the itineraries of VIPs.

The latest letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs says, “All states/UTs are once again requested to issue necessary directions to all concerned to adhere o the provisions of the Official Secrets Act and other extant guidelines on security of classified documents. Stringent corrective measures be taken to maintain the secrecy regarding VVIP programmes in order to prevent any untoward incident.”