New Delhi, January 2, 2026: Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR following a complaint filed by the Directorate of Education (DoE) over the alleged spread of misleading information on social media regarding a government circular related to the appointment of nodal officers for stray dog-related matters.
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said the action was taken after what he described as false and distorted claims were circulated online, including a social media post by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal. The post had suggested that school teachers in the capital were being directed to count stray dogs instead of performing their teaching duties.
According to officials, the DoE lodged a formal complaint at the Civil Lines police station on Thursday, seeking legal action against the circulation of what it termed malicious and incorrect information. Acting on the complaint, police registered an FIR under Sections 353(1) and 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deal with the publication of false information and provocation with intent to cause public disorder.
Addressing a press conference, Sood clarified that the circular had been misinterpreted and did not instruct teachers to engage in counting stray dogs. He alleged that the issue was deliberately misrepresented to mislead the public and politicise an administrative decision.
“The circular only concerns the appointment of nodal officers for coordination on stray dog-related issues. Teachers have not been assigned any such task,” the minister said, adding that the government would act firmly against the spread of misinformation.
The complaint stated that misleading and false narratives were being widely circulated on social media platforms by unidentified individuals, creating confusion among the public. Police officials said an investigation is underway to identify those responsible for spreading the misinformation.
