People aren't listening: After Punjab, curfew imposed in Maharashtra
Taking a lesson from his Punjab counterpart Captain Amarinder Singh, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray imposed curfew in his state to deal with the coronavirus menace. He said he was compelled to take the decision as people weren't listening and defied lockdown. He also sealed district borders to contain community transmission. Captain Singh too cited the same reason for the tough decision.
No exemptions, curfew will remain in place till March 31
The Curfew in Punjab will remain in place till March 31, and no exemptions will be given. State chief secretary Karan A Singh and DGP Dinkar Gupta spoke with Captain about the situation before the decision was taken. Subsequently, the deputy commissioners were asked to ensure that the orders are followed. Yesterday, Punjab announced a lockdown saying that essential services will remain operational.
The idea is to keep people inside
Anyone who needs relaxations will be given so for a specific time period, reports clarified. About this strong but important decision, a senior official said, "Curfew was imposed as people were still coming out in large numbers. So the idea is to keep them inside." Once the order was passed, cops were seen shutting shops, including pharmacies, and asked people to go home.
Defying appeal, people stepped out of homes
Reports this morning suggested that people gathered at various spots despite the lockdown. With their movement, the residents clearly defied Captain Singh's appeal that they should step out only when there's an emergency. So far, 21 coronavirus positive cases have been reported from Punjab and one died. Today, cops were spotted telling people to disperse, else, they will face serious consequences.
Meanwhile, in Maharashtra essential services will function
In some parts, citizens were shamed for leaving homes
In some parts of the country, cops took a unique route to shame people for stepping out during the Janata curfew yesterday. Those caught venturing out were asked to hold a paper that read, "I am enemy of the society; I would not stay home." This was reported from some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur, and even Punjab.
