No, UP police will not conduct 30-day mask checking initiative

A viral message on social media claims that the Uttar Pradesh police will conduct a 30-day mask checking campaign. It says that individuals caught without masks will be liable for either a fine or a 10-hour jail sentence. “Issued in the public interest by the Uttar Pradesh Police,” concludes the message. A Facebook page titled ‘The Bareilly Viral’ shared the message. (Archive link)

Twitter user @Dubey1Vij posted a picture of the Uttar Pradesh logo with the same claim. (Archive link)

कल प्रातः 9 बजे से 30 दिन तक उत्तर प्रदेश के सभी थाना क्षेत्रों में मास्क लगाना अनिवार्य है जो व्यक्ति बिना मास्क के पकड़ा जायेगा उसे 10 घंटे अस्थाई जेल में रहना
होगा-@Uppolice
मास्क लगायें दो गज की दूरी बनाये, कोरोना जैसी बीमारी से खुद और परिवार का
बचाव करें । pic.twitter.com/miynoSjX74

— ⛳Vijay Adv HC⛳ (@Dubey1Vij) February 25, 2021

Several other users also shared the claim on Facebook and Twitter. It has also made its way to WhatsApp.

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Facebook user Waseem Akram tweeted another claim on February 24 about a three-day-long lockdown being imposed in Uttar Pradesh. According to his post, a total lockdown would be in place across the state from February 29 to 31.

Fact-check

The Uttar Pradesh police itself took to social media to debunk the viral claim clarifying that there were no plans to conduct a 30-day mask checking initiative.

उत्तर प्रदेश पुलिस द्वारा मास्क चेकिंग का 30 दिन का ऐसा कोई भी अभियान नही चलाया जा रहा है, और न ही ऐसी कोई सूचना प्रसारित की गई है।
अतः ऐसी भ्रामक खबरों पर ध्यान न दें, जो भी इस प्रकार की भ्रामकता फैलायेगा, उसके विरुद्ध आवश्यक विधिक कार्यवाही की जाएगी।#UPPAgainstFakeNews pic.twitter.com/hciSvogmxA

— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) February 25, 2021

Apart from this, the claim about a lockdown in UP is also baseless since the last day of February is 28th.