India: Anti-India YouTube channels, sites will be blocked, says country’s Info Minister

India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur. Photo taken from Wikipedia

India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur today warned that any website or YouTube channel found to “conspire against India” will be blocked.

The minister made the remarks in a statement about action initiated against 20 YouTube channels and two websites for allegedly spreading anti-India propaganda and fake news, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

“I had ordered action against them… I am happy that many big countries took cognizance of it. YouTube also came forward and took action to block them,” Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted Thakur as saying.

He said the government would continue to take such action against those “hatching conspiracy” against the country.

In December last year, the information and broadcasting ministry, in a “closely coordinated” effort with intelligence agencies, had ordered to block the 20 YouTube channels and two websites.

In a statement, the ministry had said these outlets belonged to “a coordinated disinformation network” operating from Pakistan and spreading fake news about various “sensitive subjects related to India”.