Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami of Uttarakhand issued a stern public warning on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, cautioning citizens against spreading misleading content on social media that could divide communities along religious lines, and making clear that anyone taking the law into their own hands would face legal action.

Posting through the official Chief Minister's Office account, CM Dhami stated: 'Soशल mीडिया par bhraamak soochanaayen prasarit karke samaaj aur samudayon ko baantne ka prayas na karen' — 'Do not attempt to divide society and communities by spreading misleading information on social media.' He added that people of all religions have collectively made important contributions to the nation's progress, and warned that legal action will be taken against anyone who takes the law into their own hands.

Context

The statement comes amid a broader national climate of concern over social media's role in amplifying communal tensions. While the specific incident or viral post that prompted this warning could not be independently verified, the advisory is consistent with a pattern of state-level interventions during periods of heightened inter-community sensitivity in Uttarakhand.

The Chief Minister's message struck a deliberately inclusive tone, emphasising that 'people of all religions' have contributed to national development — a framing aimed at de-escalating potential fault lines rather than targeting any single community.

Policy Backdrop

Uttarakhand has maintained an active legislative and administrative posture on communal order. In 2020, the state enacted the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, targeting conversions by force, allurement, or marriage. In 2022, the government issued formal advisories against social media misuse during sensitive religious events and directed police to monitor platforms proactively.

At the national level, Indian administrations — particularly in BJP-governed states — have repeatedly issued warnings against online misinformation that risks inciting communal violence, typically backed by provisions of the IT Act and state-specific public order laws. CM Dhami's June 2026 statement fits squarely within this established governance pattern.

Stakeholders and Impact

The warning directly addresses Uttarakhand's diverse religious communities, social media users across the state, and implicitly, the state police apparatus that would be tasked with enforcement. By invoking legal consequences — 'legal action will be taken against anyone who takes the law into their own hands' — the Chief Minister's Office is signalling that both the spread of misinformation and any vigilante responses to it will attract scrutiny.

Civil society groups and digital rights observers are likely to watch how enforcement is operationalised, particularly whether notices or FIRs are issued under IT Rules or state public safety statutes in the days following the statement.

What's Next

The immediate test of the advisory's weight will be whether Uttarakhand Police follows through with visible enforcement action — including FIRs, account-level notices, or coordination with platform intermediaries under existing IT Rules. Historically, such statements from chief ministers' offices have been accompanied by directions to district-level police to intensify social media monitoring cells.

With Uttarakhand navigating a complex social fabric that includes pilgrimage corridors, tribal belts, and growing urban centres, the government's ability to hold the line on communal harmony through both messaging and enforcement will remain a key governance indicator through the remainder of 2026.