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Voicing concern over the use of social networking sites for spread of propaganda and disturbing communal harmony, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today asked the Centre to take steps to control such sites.

Citing a recent case where some persons tried to create communal tension in Gurgaon and Rewari districts on the issue of transportation of cows, he said the situation was brought under control by district authorities though immediate and decisive response and the matter is being enquired into by the Divisional Commissioner.

"It has often been seen that social networking sites such as Facebook, MMS, Twitter etc. Become a media in spreading propaganda through video clippings and messages of incidents with communal overtones - instigating hatred among various communities leading to flaring up of the communal situation.

"However, in the present legal framework, control of such social networking sites is required to be done by Central Government," he said speaking at the National Integration Council meeting.

Noting that the conference was an apt occasion to remember patriotic leaders who laid the foundations of the country on firm principles of unity in diversity, freedom of religion and secularism, he regretted that some forces want to destabilize "present achievements and our future dreams through communalism and extremist violence".

"Today, we need to send a clear message to everyone that the States and the Centre are unitedly committed to decisively defeat communalism in all its manifestations," he said.

Seeking parity in the policing of the NCR region, Hooda urged Prime Minister to sanction a special package of Rs 500 crore for Haryana Police to enhance its capability and technical competence to bring it on par with Delhi Police.

He stressed that the entire region would benefit from the same quality of confidence derived from better security.

Hooda described the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi as a symbol of national unity and harmony and said its safety and security is intimately linked to that of NCR sub-region of Haryana which surrounds it from three sides.

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Centre Should Control Social Networking Sites: Hooda

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) The role of social media in fanning communal violence was the focus of many speeches delivered Monday here at the National Integration Council meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The prime minister broached the issue in his inaugural address, and said there was need to prevent the misuse of social media by elements looking to foment trouble.

After the meet, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the government wanted to ban social media but it was not easy.

"Northeast chief ministers spoke about it. We are eager to ban it but it is not easy," Shinde told reporters.

Referring to the recent communal violence in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh that left 48 dead, the prime minister said there were cases in which fake videos were circulated, causing deeper divides between communities.

He said social media could be used to cement bonds.

"Social media provides the opportunity to state one's views freely, and there is need to maintain this. But it is also important that we do not allow people wanting to create trouble to misuse it," the prime minister said.

He also referred to the misuse of social media last year, which led to many people from the northeastern states being forced to flee their homes and jobs in south India.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma were among those who raised concerns over the impact of social media.

Yadav said there was no effective mechanism at present to stop the spread of hatred-inducing material on social media.

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Social media flayed at National Integration Meet

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Monday urged the central government to control social networking sites, and expressed concern that such sites on the internet were being misused for spreading messages with communal overtones.

Speaking at the meeting of the National Integration Council in New Delhi Monday, Hooda said social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter were propagating messages with potential to instigate communal feelings.

He said that some mischievous people had tried to create communal tension in Gurgaon and Rewari districts of his state by taking up communally sensitive issues like the transportation of cows, but the situation was brought under control with prompt action by authorities.

Hooda urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sanction a special composite package of Rs.500 crore for Haryana Police, so that its capability and technical competence in the National Capital Region (NCR) is brought at par with Delhi Police.

"The Mega City Policing scheme of the government of India must cover Gurgaon and Faridabad, as both these cities are in unbroken urban continuation with the capital. This will benefit the entire region," Hooda said.

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Prevent social networking sites from spreading hate: Hooda

With the country set to witness Lok Sabha polls in 2014, the impact of social media on influencing voters choices has become a hot topic.

Politicians, too, have left no stone unturned, with many of them making their presence felt through Twitter and Facebook to influence voters.

A recent study, jointly conducted by IRIS Knowledge Foundation and Internet and Mobile Association of India, says of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, social media is likely to influence about 160 in the next general elections.

The study did a check on the total number of Facebook users in each of the 543 constituencies, and termed the ones where the numbers of users account for over 10% of the voting population as high impact constituencies. The study further revealed that more than 35% of the constituencies won by the Congress and the opposition party, the BJP, in the 2009 general election fell in high-impact constituencies.

A few days ago, Facebook introduced a feature for its Indian users called Register to Vote. Through this platform, people can share status updates and individual stories on voter registration.

Long way to go While the study has successfully established social media as a decisive political tool, experts feel that this is just the beginning and there is still time till the actual impact of social media is felt in general elections in the country.

Whatever the data says, I am actually doubtful on how much impact the social media will have on the results of general elections, says Yashwant Deshmukh, founder, C-voter.

India is still considered traditional when it comes to the use of social media. Not everyone in India has access to the internet, and since they constitute the majority of voters in the country, a crucial part of the population is left out.

According to the provisional census data, of Indias 1.21 billion population, 833 million people live in rural India and 377 million in urban India.

Unlike their urban counterparts, people in small towns are believe in the power of voting. Though, youth in small towns do have access to Facebook, they are occasional users and hence, the medium will have minimal impact on them as far as swinging party fortunes is concerned, says Garima Tiwari, a political researcher.

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SNS is influential, but not a political game changer yet

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The MarketLive platform is the most retail-targeted, fully featured, customizable eCommerce solution on the market today. MarketLive powers many successful retail eCommerce sites, including Armani Exchange, Party City, Perricone MD, Sport Chalet, Sundance, Helzberg, John Deere, Title Nine, Intermix and others.

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MarketLive Announces 'Social Experience Manager' Powered by Social Annex