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On Monday, following the Supreme Court’s verdict ordering Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water from the Cauvery river for Tamil Nadu, protestors took to the streets in Bengaluru and other parts of the state. Several offices and schools had to be shut down in a rush.
An air of confusion reigned over the city with stray reports of riots and violence quickly making their way to social media.
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Amidst rumours and hearsay, it was Bangalore City Police’s active social media accounts that helped people by providing reliable information.
It's false, Please don't believe Whatsapp forwards :| https://t.co/Mh2VMBO9lX
— BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) September 12, 2016
#FakeNewsAlret :Please DO NOT belive in below attached rumour message floating on #WhatsApp reg #PetrolPumpStrikepic.twitter.com/qWk9WIAWHa
— #POLICE - Lokesh H M (@HMLokesh) September 16, 2016
The city police’s 14-member social media team quickly posted verified updates on Twitter and Facebook, and also helped people by answering to queries on WhatsApp.
Don't blindly believe msgs circulating on WhatsApp. Any doubt, #Dial100/ tweet 2 @BlrCityPolice /WhatsApp9480801000 https://t.co/SpyViFSh1s
— BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) September 15, 2016
Pls don't pay heed to rumours floating on WhatsApp, twitter,facebook and other social media. Rely on @BlrCityPolice for authentic updates.
— BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) September 14, 2016
Stellar job by @BlrCityPolice have contacted them twice and both times they were helpful pic.twitter.com/qWFsvK8eq3
— Venkat Raghav (@raghavitis) September 14, 2016
Citizens worried about safety on roads were able to get information on these portals.
“Since Monday morning, we have made over 1,000 tweets, including announcements about the situation. We ensured that every query was answered,” Lokesh. H.M, a constable, told The Hindu.
Later in the evening, section 144 was imposed in the city and this news was again announced by the police on twitter. Today, the team has been tweeting pictures of flag marches being carried out throughout the city to instil a sense of security among people.
#AtBengaluruCity : Root march by Civil & Armed Police to instill Confidence & to Assure Safety... @CPBlrpic.twitter.com/bMmoqqJihR
— BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) September 16, 2016
Bengaluru residents are also praising their work and thanking them for their constant support:
@BlrCityPolice the most tech- savvy police force in India right now. Kudos to you for leveraging the power of social media.
— prateek kashyap (@prateekp_666) September 16, 2016
@HMLokesh@BlrCityPolice Thanks for being so proactive & informing citizens about hoax ?
Kudos to SM Team & Supporting Policemen ?— Anand Gaikwad (@Anand_G9) September 16, 2016
@BlrCityPolice Appreciate the effort to keep the citizens informed. Commendable indeed. Kudos!
— Mayukh Choudhury (@mayukhc) September 15, 2016
The @BlrCityPolice twitter handle has gained up to 62,700 followers in the last few days. Kudos to this amazing team.
My Team pic.twitter.com/gSaxevVj93
— P.Harishekaran IPS (@Harishekaran) September 15, 2016
Follow Bengaluru City Police on Twitter, here.