‘UP govt’ website conducts poll on Ram MandirBabri Masjid controversy

Close on the heels of the Supreme Court suggesting an out-of-court settlement to the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue, a fake UP government website has initiated a sort of referendum on the disputed structure in Ayodhya, attributing the initiative to the state’s new chief minister, Yogi Adityanath.

The website — www.ayodhyaissue.gov-up.in — with its URL misleadingly similar to the UP government’s official website www.up.gov.in also carries a photograph of Adityanath. A WhatApp message seeking public opinion on the purported government initiative along with the link of the website went viral on Thursday.

The WhatsApp message reads: “Do you want Ram Mandir or Babri Masjid on the Ayodhya disputed land? I have participated in Online Poll on Ayodhya Issue. Request you to vote on http:// ayodhya-issue.gov-up.in/. It is important to share our views with Govt.”

A similar message along with Adityanath’s photograph features on the home page of the website, which also has a link to the UP government’s official website at the bottom of the page.

HT tracked the owner of the dubious website through its URL and found that it was registered in the name of Tarun Chaudhary, a south Delhi resident. But the phone number provided in the website’s details belonged to Akhtar Ali of Karnataka. Ali, who runs an IT firm in Bengaluru, said it was a mischief by someone who was misusing his mobile number.

“We have just been informed about the website. I will inform the police about it,” Ali said.

Apart from a deceptive URL and CM’s name, the website also carries the standard disclaimer at the bottom: “The contents of these sites are not to be construed as a responsibility of or endorsement by Dept. of Information and Public Relations and NIC” — a norm with all government websites.