Delhi Police Debunks AAP's Claim of Mobile Jammers at Satya Niketan Collapse Site
On September 6, a residential building in Satya Niketan area of Delhi collapsed, resulting in the loss of lives. The incident left seven people dead and many others injured. The rescue operation is still ongoing.
Soon after the news of the incident came out, a bizarre claim started making rounds on the internet. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that Delhi Police had installed jammers across the region so that no one could share visuals from the site.
Bharadwaj stated that there was heavy police and paramilitary deployment in the area to prevent social media from reporting the truth. He further alleged that jammers had been installed in the region and that government officials had brought jammers even before ambulances.
However, Delhi Police issued a fact-check on September 8, stating that 'No mobile jammers were activated at the Satya Niketan rescue site.' The authorities stated that mobile networks were working before, during, and after the rescue operation.
Delhi Police noted that the media and local public were able to broadcast visuals from the site without any reported disruption. The police appealed to the public not to share false information to gain engagement and asked citizens to rely on verified information only.
Despite the fact-check, no one deleted their posts. The internet is filled with visuals of survivors who shared videos from inside the debris, and no such disruption in mobile communication was reported from their side.
Delhi Police's Fact-Check
Delhi Police's fact-check stated that mobile networks were fully operational during the rescue operation. The authorities noted that personnel from Delhi Police, NDRF, and the Fire Department were communicating via mobile phones during the operation.
The police further stated that the media and citizens were broadcasting live from the site without any reported disruption. They appealed to the public to rely on verified information only and not to share false information to gain engagement.
Survivor's Videos
One of the survivors, Aditya, recorded a video of himself and sent it to his brother seeking help to be rescued. Another victim, Neeraj Bawa, called his friend from the rubble and helped rescuers locate other survivors trapped inside.
Locals also used the Blinkit application to request ambulances and oxygen cylinders. As per reports, the request was made around 1:40 PM, and an ambulance reached the site at around 1:50 PM.
Political Mileage
There have been instances when reports from such accident sites get twisted, and false news gets circulated by mistake. However, in this case, it seems intentional. Instead of calming the families of the victims and standing by them, Bharadwaj and many like him chose to create panic and share fabricated information on social media.
Despite the fact-check, no one deleted their posts. The claim that mobile jammers were installed or activated at the Satya Niketan collapse site to stop communication is false, according to Delhi Police.
