The Tripura Police on Wednesday registered five criminal cases against 71 people who they claim made provocative posts on social media. They asked people to refrain from spreading fake information.

“Strict action shall be taken against those persons who are trying to create hatred in the society,” the police said on its Facebook page. “Tripura Police appeals to all not to indulge in posting fake pictures/rumour mongering.”

The police have also requested people to not share or like posts that have not been verified. “It is clarified again that law and order situation is absolutely normal in the state,” they said.

Tension has been prevailing in Tripura after a mosque and several shops were vandalised in Panisagar sub-division during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad rally on October 26, according to The Indian Express. They were holding the rally against attacks on Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Earlier, the state unit of the Jamiat Ulama (Hind) had alleged that mosques and multiple localities dominated by Muslims had been attacked. Subsequently, the Tripura Police said that they were providing security more than 150 mosques in the state.

On October 28, the Tripura Police had claimed that the law and order situation in the state was “absolutely normal”. The police had also asserted that no mosque was burnt.

The police added that cases have been registered against those spreading “fake news and communally sensitive rumours” and that legal action will be taken against them.