Hyderabad, February 17 Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar warned young people on Tuesday against performing objectionable acts on social media for "likes".
This warning comes after a viral video showing two young people allegedly offering a narcotic substance to a statue of Lord Shiva during Mahashivaratri.
Following public outrage over the video, he warned of strict legal action against those engaging in such acts.
In the video, recorded near a Shiva temple in the Shamshabad area here on Sunday, the two are heard saying that they came to offer "prasadam" to Shiva.
The two young men are then seen boasting that while devotees normally offer coconuts as prasadam, they are doing something different. One of them is seen holding a narcotic drug, suspected to be ganja, in his hand.
Later, the young men posted the video on their social media account, prompting several netizens to demand action.
Taking note of the video, Sajjanar asked, "Will you go to any extent just to become famous?"
In a post on 'X' on Tuesday, the Commissioner said: "Maha Shivaratri is a symbol of devotion...a path to liberation. On such a sacred and holy occasion, displaying intoxicating substances in the name of offering prasadam is an extremely disgraceful act. It is a perverse behaviour."
Sajjanar called it a serious offence and said that once the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act are invoked, "you may have to regret it for the rest of your life."
He further advised them not to sacrifice their golden future for the momentary pleasures of "likes and views."
He said, "Such actions will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Strict legal action will be taken against those responsible. Use social media as a platform for your creativity...not as a gateway to addiction."
Meanwhile, sources said that the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) team is investigating the incident.
