New Delhi, March 23: An incident of racial discrimination happened in New Delhi on Sunday. According to reports, a man in the national capital spat on a Manipuri girl and called her a “corona”. The incident surfaced in the backdrop of growing panic around the spread of COVID-19. The incident took place at Vijay Nagar area of North Delhi after Janata Curfew ended. Janata Curfew: Delhi Police Offer Flowers to People Out on Roads, Request Them to Stay Indoors.

An FIR has been registered in the case under section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and launched a manhunt operation to nab the accused. As per reports, the man spat "gutakha" (tobacco) on woman's t-shirt and called her “corona”. The incident drew flak from activists of North East. Congress leader B Manickam Tagore on Monday gave Adjournment Motion Notice in the Lok Sabha over the incident. Coronavirus Scare Sparks Racism? Instances of Asians Getting Attacked and Mocked Go Viral on Social Media.

The incident came amid fears over coronavirus which originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan. India on Sunday observed Janata Curfew from 7 am to 9 pm on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, many states and union territories extended the Janata Curfew. The Indian Railways have also cancelled passenger trains to prevent the outbreak the coronavirus. Suburban and metro train services in Mumbai have also been stopped. 'Stop Calling Us Corona, Ch***i, Chinese', Northeast Indian Students Facing Racism During Coronavirus Scare Urge in a Heart-Breaking Viral Video.

In India, a total of 425 positive cases of COVID-19 has been reported so far. Seven people also lost their lives due to the deadly virus. Maharashtra is the worst-hit state with 89 cases of coronavirus. Two deaths were also reported in the state. Globally, over 12,000 deaths have been reported so far. Italy is the worst affected country as over 5,000 people lost their lives.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2020 01:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).