Social Media Fuelled Mahal Violence: Viral Video, Trending Hashtags Under Scanner

Nagpur: A viral video circulating on social media is believed to have played a key role in the violence that erupted in Mahal on Monday. The video, showing the burning of an effigy of Aurangzeb's tomb draped in a green cloth considered sacred by a community, was widely shared across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and WhatsApp. Alongside the video, false narratives and rumours spread rapidly, leading to public outrage, protests, and eventual clashes which police are now investigating.
As the situation unfolded, X became a hub for discussions, debates, and speculation, with hashtags like #Nagpur and #NagpurViolence trending nationwide. By Tuesday night, over 130k (1.30 lakh) posts were recorded under these hashtags. While some users called for peace, others fuelled debates, with various political and social opinions emerging. Local influencers, political figures, and concerned citizens also took to social media, urging people to refrain from spreading misinformation and to maintain communal harmony.
DCP (Cyber) Lohit Matani acknowledged the role social media played in the violence. "The spread of unverified content and false information alongside the viral video acted as a trigger. Social media definitely played a major role in fuelling the unrest," he said.
In response to the online activity, the Nagpur cyber police swiftly identified 60 objectionable posts by Monday night. Details such as IP addresses and email IDs were forwarded to MahaCyber — the state's cybersecurity department — and social media platforms like Facebook to initiate takedowns. By Tuesday evening, 25 additional posts were flagged for further action, informed Matani.
"Along with open platforms like Instagram and Facebook, WhatsApp was extensively used to share videos and images. However, investigating WhatsApp leads is more challenging, as we need to physically trace sources," Matani said. He said, "Social media policing has now become an integral part of our system." Apart from on-ground arrests, police relied heavily on social media tracking to identify individuals involved in the violence. Several arrests were made based on digital evidence gathered from viral content, he added.
Meanwhile, the online discourse took an unexpected turn when Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal was dragged into the controversy. Some X users linked the violence to his latest film based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. One user sarcastically credited Kaushal for the incident, while another countered, pointing out that no one joined the Indian Army after watching ‘Uri', referencing one of his earlier films.
Some users expressed their opinions on the incident by sharing videos of ghazals and shayari. Throughout the day, multiple new videos of the violence surfaced from different angles and locations, not only adding to the online discourse but also assisting the police in identifying those involved in the unrest.
Despite the chaos, many residents of Mahal and the broader Nagpur community actively used social media to call for peace and caution against spreading unverified information. While law enforcement intensifies its crackdown on digital misinformation, the incident has once again highlighted the double-edged nature of social media — capable of both inflaming tensions and fostering unity in times of crisis.