Vadodara, Jun 27 (PTI) Eight persons, including two women, were arrested on Sunday for allegedly spreading anti-COVID 19 vaccination messages among public in Vadodara in Gujarat, police said.

A group of eight people, including six men, gathered near a bus stand with 'Awaken Gujarat Movement' and 'Awaken Barodians' banners to spread the message against COVID-19 vaccination, an official of the city's Sayajigunj police station said.

He said a patrolling team of police personnel learnt about this gathering and reached the spot.

"At a time when the government is organising massive campaigns for COVID-19 vaccination, these people were found spreading anti-vaccine messages without wearing face masks and violating social distancing," he said.

They were booked under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy, 143 (unlawful assembly), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), and 270 (act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster management Act, he said.

In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' broadcast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to shed vaccine hesitancy and to not believe in rumours.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)