Fact Check: Photoshopped Image Viral Claiming Maharashtra To Go Under 15 Days Strict Lockdown From March 1

Image Credit: India Today

The Logical Indian Crew

Fact Check: Photoshopped Image Viral Claiming Maharashtra To Go Under 15 Days Strict Lockdown From March 1

A digitally photoshopped template of TV9 Marathi is circulating on social media with a claim that the Maharashtra government has announced a lockdown from March 15. The Logical Indian Fact-Check team debunked the claim.

An image, purportedly a screenshot of the TV9 news channel, has gone viral on social media with a claim that the Maharashtra government has announced a lockdown from March 1, 2021. The screenshot appeared to be a news template from TV9 with Uddhav Thackeray's image with texts in Marathi, which in English says, 'Maharashtra to undergo strict lockdown for 15 days from March 1, 2021'.


The image is widely shared on social media with different captions.

चुतियापा फिर शुरू होगा क्या ??

Posted by सरस्वती मार्तण्ड यति on Sunday, 21 February 2021



Claim:

Uddhav Thackeray has announced a strict lockdown in Maharashtra for 15 days from March 1, 2021.

Fact Check:

On February 21, 2021, Uddhav Thackeray addressed the state. In his address, he emphasized on the importance of following all the precautions to contain coronavirus. He asked people to wear a mask and follow social distancing. He also announced that lockdown in the Vidharbha region for a week, as the cases of COVID-19 has increased in the area. He also declared a ban on all religious and social gatherings across the state for some time.

TV9 reported and tweeted about it.

The Logical Indian compared the shirt worn by Uddhav Thackeray in the original video with the shirt in the viral image. The colour of the shirt is different. We also found that the original template's font is different from the font in the viral template.

Viral Image

Original Screenshot

We also did a reverse image search of the viral image and found a similar image was tweeted by TV9 on March 22, 2020. In this image, the colour of the shirt worn by Uddhav Thackeray was the same as the viral image, but even then, the ticker had different texts.


We also searched for any media report about lockdown in Maharashtra and we found that only the Vidharbha region is going under lockdown for a week as the coronavirus cases have spiked in the region.

Uddhav Thackeray, in the video, did not announce lockdown but said a call will be taken based on the situation in the coming days after he observes the situation for 8 days.

TV9 Marathi also reported that the viral image is fake and isn't of their channel.

Hence, the viral image is digitally morphed and fake.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

Also read: "Falsely Fabricated, Unscientific Product" Indian Medical Association Fumes Over Ramdev's Claim Of Coronil Treating COVID-19

Contributors Suggest Correction
Writer : Yusha Rahman
,
Editor : Bharat Nayak
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Creatives : Abhishek M

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