Social media post claims Statue of Unity has cracks; FIR registered – Times of India

KEVADIA: Police have filed a case against an unknown person after a post on social media platform X claimed that there were “cracks” on the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and it could “fall at any moment,” an official said Tuesday. The 600-foot-tall statue, built on Kevadia in Narmada district as a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patelthe first Home Minister of independent India, is a major tourist attraction.
A message written in Hindi On September 8 at 9:52 am, the website “RaGa4India” reported that the statue “may fall at any moment as cracks have developed in it”.
The post also included an old photo of the building, which appeared to date from the time of its construction.
The post is not available to view because user X has since deleted it.
A case has been registered under Section 353 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) regarding making, publishing or disseminating any statement, false information, rumour or report, etc., to create fear or alarm among the public, the official said.
The SPAR was registered based on a complaint from Abhishek Ranjan Sinhadeputy collector, unit-1, Development of the Statue of Unity area and Tourism Governance Authority, he said.
“By spreading such false news, an attempt has been made to spread fear among the people and disturb peace,” the FIR said.
The statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2018, attracts many tourists.