GUWAHATI, Nov 3: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asked the state police to take action against those spreading rumours though a fake Twitter post, bearing the name and picture of the chief minister, that “the education department would close schools and colleges from November 20 owing to rising COVID-19 cases.”
“A FAKE tweet bearing my name is circulating, saying that since cases of COVID-19 have gone up, schools and colleges are being closed down from Nov 20. This is WRONG and should not be heeded to. Stay off misinformation and fake news. I am advising Assam Police to take note and act,” the chief minister tweeted on Wednesday.
The fake post, circulating in social media, had several grammatical and spelling errors.
It may be mentioned that schools and colleges reopened in a phased manner across Assam from September after being shut for five months in view of the second wave of the pandemic.
The Assam Cabinet had decided to resume offline classes for students of Class 10 in high schools, high madrassas, residential and day boarding schools from September 20.
Classes for Class XII and final year degree and postgraduate students in schools, colleges and universities resumed from September 6 in view of the improvement in the state’s COVID-19 situation.
Offline lessons for students from Classes I to VIII in Assam resumed from October 19.
Classes in lower primary (Class I to V) and upper primary (Class VI to VIII) levels of both government and private schools are being held for three days a week.