Maha minister takes a dig at BJP's WhatsApp campaign plan

"WhatsApp university" is a term that has emerged for rumour mongering or circulation of fake content on the social media platform. The minister asked the Maharashtra police's cyber cell to keep a tab on WhatsApp groups to prevent rumour- mongering and spread of misinformation.

Amid reports about Maharashtra BJP's plan to launch a campaign to connect with the state's voters through WhatsApp, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday hoped it will not turn into a "WhatsApp university". "WhatsApp university" is a term that has emerged for rumour mongering or circulation of fake content on the social media platform.

The minister asked the Maharashtra police's cyber cell to keep a tab on WhatsApp groups to prevent rumour- mongering and spread of misinformation. A news report in a Marathi daily stated that the saffron party's state unit was planning to link one-and-half crore voters by forming groups on WhatsApp.

"There is no harm in connecting with citizens over #WhatsApp & I am hopeful that this #campaign will not result in #WhatsAppUniversity. @MahaCyber1 Please keep a close tab on WhatsApp groups if they are in use to mislead people & spread rumours," Deshmukh tweeted.