Even as the country is witnessing a calibrated re-opening amidst the ‘Unlock-1’ phase, there is a photo doing the rounds on the Internet which says that the nationwide lockdown is once again going to be implemented since June 15.
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.
The Truth
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.
दावा: सोशल मीडिया पर फैलाई जा रही एक फोटो में दावा किया जा रहा है कि गृह मंत्रालय द्वारा ट्रेन और हवाई यात्रा पर प्रतिबंध के साथ 15 जून से देश में फिर से पूर्ण लॉकडाउन लागू किया जा सकता है।#PIBFactcheck– यह #Fake है। फेक न्यूज़ फैलाने वाली ऐसी भ्रामक फोटो से सावधान रहें। pic.twitter.com/DqmrDrcvSz
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 10, 2020
The Ministry of Home Affairs has not announced anything regarding the re-implementation of lockdown in the country. Besides, the photo of the lockdown message that is in circulation on the Internet is morphed. Even the news channel had not carried the report as being illustrated in the morphed image.
The rumours about the re-imposition of lockdown came on the heels of the centre’s decision to unlock the economy in a gradual and phased manner of starting June 1. By June 8, the country had already completed all three phases including the re-opening of offices, malls, restaurants and religious spots based on the assessment by local law enforcement officials. A staggered approach is being embraced by the government to run Flight and train operations.
