Blue Whale game: Rajya Sabha chair directs government to take cognisance of 'suicide'
The Rajya Sabha chair today directed the government to take cognisance of the reported suicide of a teenager under the influence of Blue Whale online game.
In Short
- Rajya Sabha chair directed government to take cognisance of suicide of Manpreet.
- 14-year-old Manpreet reported committed suicide while playing Blue Whale game.
- Rajya Sabha members demanded action against such games.
Following the concerns raised by several Rajya Sabha members over the reported suicide by a teenager playing the Blue Whale social media game, the Upper House chair today directed the government to take cognisance in the matter.
Earlier, the Rajya Sabha members sought action against 'harmful social media games' while expressing concern over the Blue Whale game's addiction among impressionable youths.
The concerns were raised in Parliament today following the reported suicide of 14-year-old Manpreet Singh Sahani under the influence of the social media game.
THE SUICIDE
Manpreet reportedly committed suicide after playing the Blue Whale game Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra Amar Shankar Sable raised the matter in the Upper House during the question hour.
Expressing his concerns over youngsters being influenced by this game, he alleged that Manpreet Singh Sahani jumped from his multi-storey building after continuously playing the Blue Whale game for many days.
"The Blue Whale game has taken almost 130 young lives in Russia. It has got other nations worried including the UK. The government must take stringent steps to spread the influence of this game that," Sable said.
THE GAME
The Blue Whale game was launched in Russia in 2013 by a youngster called Philipp Budeikin. The game went viral as more and more youngsters followed the instructions and task assigned in the game culminating in their suicide.
The 22-year-old creator is now in Russian jail sentenced for provoking youngsters to commit suicide. The BJP MP from Maharashtra cited how the UK and other countries were also worried about the way the game was driving vulnerable teens to take extreme steps.
Another Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra Vikas Mahatma echoed the concern raised by Sable. Mahatma said that even as Maharashtra government had expressed concerns over this game there were similar games being popularised on internet.
Mahatma advocated that such games should be made beyond the reach of children and young ones. He sought action against the Dota game saying that it "provokes gamers to break laws, cause harm to themselves and violate the moral ethics."
Some other Rajya Sabha members too shared the concerns over the addiction to such games among the youth.
ALSO READ |
Blue Whale is not a game, and no it is not making people commit suicide