Fact Check: Did Karnataka Govt Give Special Permission To This Town To Open Liquor Shops?

As India continues to stay indoors in the fight against coronavirus, some have tried to violate the lockdown to get their daily dose of liquor. While tipplers in Kerala are rejoicing after the state government said that it was considering special passes for those who want to buy liquor. While the medical community is not pleased, the  Kerala government,ent feels that people dying due to withdrawal symptoms should not be a side-effect of the corona lockdown. (Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE)

In Karnataka, despite several warnings, a message went viral on social media that a town in the state had got special permission to open the liquor shop for a limited period during the lockdown.  News Nation has learned that due to the viral message, many people flocked the government-run liquor shop in Karnataka's Gadag town. "A lot of people thronged the MSIL store in Gadag from the early morning hours on Wednesday after they received a message saying an MSIL store will be open in the district," sources said.

So what was the truth behind the viral message? The fact is that no such permission was given by the state government. Rather, it was an April Fool's Day prank played by someone on the tipplers on the town. It was only after waiting in the queue for hours that the local residents realized that they were pranked. The policemen had to rush to the spot to disperse the crowd.

April fool prank on alcoholics, fake message claiming MSIL liquor shop will be open on April 1st #AprilFoolsDay pic.twitter.com/xNcrBsPn6m

— News Nation (@NewsNationTV) April 1, 2020

Earlier on Tuesday, a person was arrested for allegedly creating a fake Government Order on the reopening of liquor shops in Telangana and circulating the fake news in social media, police said. Sunny from Uppal area was held during the investigation following a complaint by the Excise Department that the fake GO claiming wine shops would be allowed to be opened for two-and-a-half hours started doing the rounds on social media on Saturday last, they said. The Excise Department had said the order/notification was fake and it had not issued any such order and as per the instructions of the Telangana government all retail shops of liquor (over 2,400 liquor retail outlets and over 700 bars in Telangana) shall remain closed during the lockdown period as part of the fight against COVID-19.

On Monday, Kerala Government had issued an order in this regard was issued on Monday night, despite objection from doctors'' association, to supply liquor to tipplers under prescription during the 21-day lockdown initiated to counter the spread of COVID-19. "Following the lockdown and the closure of liquor outlets in the state, there were many instances of social issues including the frustration and suicide tendencies shown by those who used to consume liquor regularly and the state government has decided to initiate steps to resolve the matter," the order read.

(With agency inputs)