Centre slams X for ‘abetting crime’ after 100 flight bomb threats

New Delhi: The IT Ministry on Wednesday slammed Elon Musk-run social media platform X after more than 100 bomb threats were received by airlines over the past few days and many of these hoaxes were circulated via social media platforms.

In a virtual meeting with representatives of airlines and social media platforms such as X and Meta, the IT Ministry officials said the situation amounts to “X abetting crime” and questioned its representatives on the steps taken to stop such alarming rumours from spreading.

Joint Secretary, IT, Sanket S Bhondve chaired the virtual meeting, according to reports.

The online threats created panic among the passengers and set off alarm bells for security agencies. Several flights, including internationals, were diverted after the hoax calls. More than 120 flights operated by Indian carriers have received bomb threats over the past few days. On Tuesday, 30 flights operated by IndiGo, Vistara and Air India received such threats.

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Monday that those circulating such hoax threats will face tough action, including being put on a no-fly list. The government plans to amend the ‘Suppression of Unlawful Acts’ against the ‘Safety of Civil Aviation Act’ so that action could be initiated for offences when an aircraft is on the ground.

Currently, the aviation security norms largely cover in-flight offences.

“We are trying to make amendments and the legal team has worked on it. We need consultations with other ministries also. We are definitely pushing forward to have changes in the Act also so that it addresses offences that happen when the flight is on the ground and also make it a cognisable offence,” the minister said.

After the hoax calls, the airlines followed standard operating procedures towards the safety of the passengers. Last week, an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York was diverted mid-air to Delhi following a bomb threat.

–IANS