100 flight bomb threats in a week: Centre slams X
What's the story
The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT has slammed social media platform X (formerly Twitter) for spreading over 100 bomb threats to Indian flights in a week.
The ministry accused X of "abetting crime" and questioned its efforts to curb such rumors.
The accusation came during a virtual meeting chaired by Joint Secretary Sanket S Bhondve with representatives from airlines and social media platforms, including X and Meta.
Legal response
Government considers legal amendments amid bomb threats
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu assured the government is dealing with these threats without compromising passenger safety.
He warned those circulating such hoax threats could face severe consequences, including being put on a no-fly list.
The government is also considering amending the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act to allow action against offenses when an aircraft is on the ground.
Ongoing investigation
Investigation underway to uncover potential conspiracy
Naidu revealed that a comprehensive investigation is underway to ascertain if there's a conspiracy behind these threats.
Despite being hoaxes, the threats have panicked passengers and resulted in several flight diversions.
Security at airports has been beefed up, with increased CCTV monitoring and more thorough checks at checkpoints.
Legislative measures
Proposed legislative actions and penalties for hoax threats
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry is mulling legislative action to curb these threats.
Naidu emphasized plans to amend aviation security rules and the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982.
He said, "We are making it a cognizable offense, so based on that amendment, there is going to be a punishment and also fine."
Flight disruptions
Flight operations disrupted due to social media threats
In recent days, flight operations have been affected by threat messages sent through social media platforms.
On Sunday alone, 25 flights received bomb threats through an anonymous account on X.
The government continues to work closely with law enforcement agencies and other ministries to address these security challenges effectively.