Pilibhit Police Issue Clarification on Video Showing District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police Taking Out Procession During Janata Curfew

Lucknow, March 23: Pilibhit police on Monday issued a clarification after a video emerged on social media, where District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of the district were seen leading a procession during the Janata Curfew on March 22. In the clarification, the Pilibhit police said that the officials did not take out a procession, rather they were telling people, who step out of their houses, to go inside to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Madhya Pradesh Police Shame People Violating Lockdown Amid Coronavirus Outbreak by Handing Over 'I am Enemy of Society' Pamphlets.

The clarification came after the video of the DM and the Pilibhit SP leading the procession during the Janata Curfew went viral on social media. Soon after the video went viral, netizens started trolling their officials for not following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instructions of staying at home during the Janata Curfew. Meanwhile, Varun Gandhi, BJP MP from Pilibhit demanded action against the officials.

Pilibhit in a tweet said, “District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police did not defy the curfew. Some people were coming out of their homes, so the officials were telling them to go back. It was not reasonable to use force.” The police also slammed media for publishing “one-sided” reports. Coronavirus Lockdown: Employers Must Not Cut Salaries or Opt For Layoffs, Says Labour Ministry Advisory to Public & Private Firms.

Tweet by Pilibhit Police:

@pilibhitpolice खंडन-DM व SP द्वारा जुलूस नहीं निकाला गया। कुछ जनता चूकि बाहर आ गयी थी अतः भावनात्मक जुड़ाव के द्वारा वहाँ से हटाया गया। चूँकि बल प्रयोग व्यावहारिक नहीं था। मात्र एकतरफ़ा खबर से भ्रामक खबर चलायी गयी है। प्रमाण के रूप में मीडिया बाइट संलग्न है @Uppolice@dgpuppic.twitter.com/NMzVEhnk3A

— pilibhit police (@pilibhitpolice) March 22, 2020

Video of Pilibhit DM and SP Taking Out Procession:

DM Pilibhit Vaibhav Srivastava and SP Pilibhit Abhishek Dixit leading from the front in the fight against Corona 🙄

pic.twitter.com/OsyGGeLNH6

— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) March 22, 2020

On Sunday, Janata Curfew was observed across India from 7 am to 9 pm to avoid the spread of COVID-19. The call for Janata Curfew was given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 20. People also gathered in their balconies at 5 pm to appreciate the efforts of medical professionals and other service worker in combating coronavirus. They clapped and clanked their utensils to honour their hard work in this distressing time.

Meanwhile, in India, over 400 cases of COVID-19 have been reported so far. A total of eight people also lost their lived sue to the deadly virus. Worldwide, over 12,000 deaths have been reported until now.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2020 07:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).