New Delhi, March 19: A circular, said to be issued by the "Prime Minister's Office", went viral on WhatsApp on Thursday. The circular states that the Indian PMO has issued a "restricted movement order" in effect from March 18 midnight to contain the spread of coronavirus. A fact check, however, has revealed that the circular is fake and no such order has been issued by the Government of India. Catch All The Live Updates Related to Coronavirus Outbreak Here.

As per the fake circular, the PMO has ordered the imposition of a lockdown, barring the residents from undertaking necessitated travel. A scrutiny of the circular has revealed that the rumour mongers used a similar order issued by the Malaysian government - and maliciously tweaked it to show that restrictions directions have been issued by the Narendra Modi government.

Screenshot of the Fake Order Going Viral on WhatsApp

A further scrutiny of the fake circular revealed that the rumour mongers failed to edit some parts of it, which showed that it has been issued by the Malaysian government. For instance, the order refers to the powers conferred on "RELA (People's Volunteers Corps) and PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police". Further, the helpline number provided in the order is of the Malaysian National Security Council.

Check The Screenshots Below

Reference to Malaysian Police and Volunteer Corps

Helpline Number of Malaysian National Security Council

Govt's Media Arm Dispels Speculations of Lockdown

Shashi Shekhar, the CEO of Prasar Bharati - Indian government's official media arm - dispelled speculations of a nationwide shutdown. In his address at 8 pm on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not be announcing a lockdown as it would further fuel panic among the people, he said.

"Some media outlets are speculating that PM Modi will announce a lock down in his address. This information is incorrect. It will also create unnecessary panic in minds of people, which is the last thing we need in times like this," Shekhar tweeted.

The number of coronavirus cases in India jumped to 168 by the time this report was published. Four deaths due to COVID-19 have been confirmed so far. The disease is still in "stage 2" category, which means that the transmission so far is restricted to those who came in contact to persons arriving from foreign nations. The government is taking measures to prevent coronavirus from entering into "stage 3" -- when the disease turns into a community outbreak. While prohibitory measures are imposed at several places, the Centre has so far not announced a nationwide lockdown.

Fact check

Coronavirus in India: Did PMO Issue 'Restricted Movement Order'? Here's a Fact Check as Malaysian Govt's Order Gets Circulated on WhatsApp as Indian Govt Order
Claim :

PMO Issues Lockdown Order in India in Effect From March 18 to Contain Coronavirus

Conclusion :

Fake News. No Such Order Issued by Government of India. A Malaysian Government Order Has Been Maliciously Edited.

Full of Trash
Clean

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2020 05:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).