A snippet of a Hindi news channel claiming that the lockdown will be once again in force starting June 15 is being widely circulated on social media platforms. The message reads that the Ministry of Home Affairs has hinted towards enforcement of nationwide lockdown from June 15, including a ban on flights and trains.
However, it was later found out that the picture allegedly belonging to a Hindi news channel was fake and misleading. The Press Information Bureau’s Fact-check arm has officially scotched the rumours of yet another lockdown in the country starting June 15. PIB fact-check’s official Twitter account has declared the picture of a Hindi news channel with the message of the revival of lockdown as fake, thereby putting to rest the growing anxiety among people in connection with another lockdown.
Notably, India took 64 days to cross the 1 lakh-mark from 100 cases, then in another fortnight it reached the grim milestone of two lakh cases. It has now become the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic with a caseload of 3,08,993. Following this, speculations were rife that state governments may announce a complete shutdown.
Take a look at the list of states that have rebutted reports on lockdown extension:
Maharashtra:“Lockdown will not be re-announced. Chief Minister Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has requested and appealed to the people not to crowd anywhere and follow the instructions given by the government”, CMO Maharashtra clarified yesterday.
Delhi: AAP leader and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had also clarified that the shutdown will not be extended. “No, the lockdown will not be extended,” the minister told news agency ANI after being asked if there have been discussions to extend lockdown in the national capital.
Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami yesterday said that false news was being spread over announcing another shutdown and warned of stern legal action on those spreading such rumours. “I saw that such a message is being spread on my name on WhatsApp. We have not made any such announcement. The government has no such plans (to enforce stricter lockdown measures). Strict legal action will be taken against those spreading this false message,” the chief minister told reporters after opening the shutters of the Mettur dam to facilitate irrigation.
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