Twitter Removes Rajinikanth’s Coronavirus Video For Violation Of Rules

As India braces for uncertainty over the Coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Modi has called for what he’s calling a Janata Curfew. Just 14 hours of curfew, with people staying indoors, tomorrow, March 22, between 7 am and 9 pm, as opposed to complete lockdown that may be required. Rajinikanth, earlier today put out a video in support of Modi’s curfew. What was interesting about the video the actor — who recently said he does not want to be CM of Tamil Nadu but wants to be the head of a political outfit — had put out was that it came with just a hashtag #ISupportJanataCurfew. The tweet that had the video as well as a second tweet that had a link to YouTube with the same content have now been removed by Twitter. Twitter has said the tweets violated Twitter rules. The video is still up on YouTube however.

Rajinikanth said in his video that for 12-14 hours if people don’t go out, we can stop the spread of Coronavirus from stage 2 to 3. There is no proof of this at all. For instance, this graphic from Business Insider shows how long the virus can survive in various surfaces:

Moreover, the medical community has doubts about the stage in which India is currently in, in this fight against the virus. On NDTV last night, Dr Arvind Kumar, the chairman of Center of Chest Surgery in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said that “people who think that we still are in stage 2 have shut their eyes to reality.” NDTV reported that “according to him, this infection is simmering in the community and just waiting to explode anytime.”

Watch Dr Arvind Kumar’s interview here:

While Italians may have ignored calls for curfews, and right now the army has been called in to ensure the same, there is little by way of science to explain how Modi’s Janata Curfew can stop the virus in its track and prevent an Italy-like situation here. Rajinikanth also asked everyone, in his video, to express gratitude to the medical community at the forefront of this fight at 5 pm tomorrow, per Modi’s request.

Also read, WATCH: Kamal Haasan’s Appeal In The Wake Of Coronavirus Pandemic