‘Strict action against anyone luring users’

NEW DELHI: After at least three incidents of suspected suicide by children allegedly influenced by the online game of Blue Whale Challenge, the Centre has taken a tough stand against technology platforms that provide links directing users to the game.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union electronics and information technology minister, on Wednesday said any violation of government’s instruction to remove all links which direct users to the dangerous online game will be dealt with strictly.

“We received several complaints related to the Blue Whale game that provokes youngsters into committing suicide. We have taken tough measures. Under the IT ecosystem, no initiative shall be permitted which provokes such acts. It is plainly unacceptable,” Prasad told reporters at a press conference.

The minister said the government has issued clear instructions to all technology platforms to check the spread of the game.

“I appeal to all tech platforms to abide by the government instructions. Any violation will be viewed seriously,” he added.

In India, the first incident was reported on July 30 when Manpreet Singh Sahani, a 14-year-old schoolboy, allegedly walked off the fifth floor of his residential building in Mumbai. Another teenager in Kerala hanged himself to death while allegedly completing a Blue Whale challenge.