A rumour about deployment of the Army in coronavirus hotspots of Mumbai and Pune is being "deliberately" spread on social media, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Wednesday and added that strict action was being taken against rumour-mongers.
Mumbai and Pune account for over 39,000 of the total 54,758 COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra.
"Rumour is deliberately being spread through WhatsApp and other social media that the Army will be deployed in Mumbai and Pune and that the Army will ban movement there."
Malicious rumours are being spread on Whatsapp & other social media platforms about army deployment in Mumbai & Pune to enforce a 10-day curfew. These are baseless, false rumours & @MahaCyber1 has already begun action against those who began this rumour.#ZeroToleranceOfRumours
- ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) May 27, 2020
"This is completely false. @MahaCyber1 has initiated action against those spreading such rumours," Mr Deshmukh tweeted.
He also stressed that the state government has zero tolerance for rumours.
Earlier this month, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray too had dismissed speculation that the Indian Army might be called in in Mumbai as the COVID-19 situation worsened.
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