The Directorate of Education (DoE) in Delhi has taken a firm legal step by lodging a formal police complaint against the widespread circulation of false information. The misinformation alleged that government school teachers had been ordered to count stray dogs in the city.
Origin of the False Narrative
The controversy erupted from claims circulating on social media platforms. These posts falsely linked a DoE circular, issued on November 20 and titled "City hounded by strays, kids pay price", to a directive for teachers to conduct a census of stray dogs. The department has categorically denied any such instruction.
Director (Education) Veditha Reddy addressed the media, clarifying the actual purpose of the circular. She stated that the teachers' role is strictly confined to academic activities and labelled the false narrative as "mischievous." The circular was intended to ensure student safety by preventing the entry of stray animals into school premises through security staff, not teachers.
Legal Action and Official Stance
In its official complaint, the DoE emphasized the malicious intent behind the fabricated news. It stated that the false claims were deliberately spread to cause confusion and panic among educators, damage the reputation of the Education Department, and disrupt public trust in government institutions. The complaint explicitly notes, "There has been no mention of any counting of stray dogs in the said circular."
The complaint was initially submitted at the Civil Lines police station on Thursday and was subsequently transferred to the specialized IFSO (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Services) unit of the Delhi Police for investigation. The DoE has requested the registration of an FIR and a thorough probe to identify the original creators and propagators of the false content.
Political Reactions and Zero-Tolerance Policy
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directly accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of spreading this misinformation. In a post on social media platform X, she announced the filing of the complaint, calling it a "serious and deliberate attempt to demoralise our dedicated teachers and to deliberately create mistrust in Delhi’s education system."
CM Gupta declared a strict stance against such deceptive practices. "There is zero tolerance for the politics of lies, and everyone responsible for this will be held fully accountable under the law," she asserted in her statement. The government's action underscores its commitment to combating fake news that targets public servants and vital institutions.
