The district police in Malda have started a campaign to discourage residents of the district from making and sharing morphed videos and provocative messages on social media ahead of Bengal polls.

People have been asked not to post provocative and unverified items that could trigger law and order problems.

A number of senior police officers have pointed that the demography and geographical location of Malda made this alert to residents necessary.

They also said that the cybercrime police station had come across a number of provocative videos, a number of which were eventually found to be fake.

“Many social media users, who post and share those videos out of enthusiasm, can invite legal steps (against them). That is why we are reaching out to them through social media to make them aware of the probable legal consequences they might face. It is not only the person who posts it (provocative and fake videos) for the first time but anybody sharing it can also face such (legal) steps,” said Alok Rajoria, the Malda district police chief.

He said that the district police were using popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp for regular alerts to make people aware of the consequences.

A police officer pointed out that circulating morphed videos and messages that can lead to social tension was a common menace. “There is apprehension that such practices may intensify in the district before polls. The caution is thus being issued in advance,” he said.

The cybercrime police station has been instructed to keep watch on social networking platforms.