BMC apologises after John Abraham calls out civic body for misinformation

An unfortunate side-effect of the Coronavirus outbreak is misinformation. Misinformation has been a huge contributor to the crisis in the country and the world ever since the pandemic was declared. The misinformation has been getting around at the local and national level too. 

John Abraham recently caught a poster that spread false information about animals as carriers of the Coronavirus. The posters were put up around the city by BMC, and the body which was held responsible responded quickly to the criticism.

John Abraham shuts down misinformation in BMC posters

The Coronavirus has been dangerous in more ways than one. It has also led to a lot of false information spreading. Newspapers also picked up the BMC posters that were put up around Mumbai suggesting that animals were carriers of the deadly virus. This led to abandoning of house pets around the city. 

Bollywood actor John Abraham came down heavily on the organisation and tweeted about the false posters. He posted an article and captioned the post, "Animals do not get or transmit Covid 19... Please don't be misinformed." 

Following the criticism, the BMC issued an apology to the actor. They acknowledged the false information making the rounds and said they had taken down the posters and pamphlets, "Sir, we regret the misinformation that led to panic among pet owners. We too love pets & hence as soon as this was brought to our notice, all of these hoarding were removed with immediate effect. We request you to help spread the message & help us keep Mumbai safe. Thank you!"

In another tweet, John Abraham thanked the body for the swift response and asked people and pets to stay safe.

Allegedly there were vans broadcasting the incorrect message that were going around the city. When a citizen approached the body to report it and remind them of the WHO guidelines and information, the BMC had said the posters were printed before the WHO had issued guidelines. PETA too has issued an advisory that clarifies the false information. Seems like authorities still need a heavy hand to make a change in the right direction. Baby steps are always better than none, we suppose.