Is this a video of PM Modi warning citizens of the country about the new COVID-19 variant JN1? Know the truth. 

The number of newly active COVID cases has shot up across various states in India. The name of this new COVID variant is JN.1. The WHO has classified it as a Variant of Interest (VOI) due to its rapid spread. 

Against this backdrop, a video of PM Modi warning the citizens of the country is going viral on social media. In the video, PM Modi can be heard saying, “If we will not be careful for these 21 days, then the country and your family will be setback by 21 years. If we are not careful for these 21 days, then many families will be destroyed forever. I am not appealing this as a Prime Minister but as a member of your family. Therefore forget what it feels like to go out of the house for the next 21 days. Stay at your home and just do this ‘Stay at your home’.”

Social media users are sharing this video in context of the current surge in the new COVID cases by the new variant JN.1. 

However, Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. This is an old video of PM Modi when 21 days lockdown was initially implemented in 2020 at the beginning of COVID-19. 

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Fact Check- 

A relevant keyword search on Google led us to a video uploaded on PM Modi’s official YouTube channel 3 years ago in 2020. In this 5 minute video, PM Modi can be heard saying, “lockdown was implemented in many places of the country and the state government needs to take these initiatives seriously. Taking advice from the Health experts and other countries, India is going to take an important decision today. There will be a complete lockdown throughout the country from midnight. To save India, your families and specially to save you, complete lockdown will be implemented in the country. Every state, every town, villages etc will be completely locked down. Consider this as a kind of curfew. This is the most important step to battle the Corona pandemic. It is true that the nation will undergo an economic crisis, but to save every citizen of the country and to save you and your families is a major priority for me, the Indian government and state government. Therefore, I request all of you that you remain in the same place wherever you are now. Looking at the current situation, a 21 day lockdown is going to be implemented. These 21 days are going to be very important for everyone. If we will not be careful for these 21 days then the country  and your families will be setback by 21 years.”

Another video uploaded on Hindustan Times YouTube channel on 24 March 2020 reported that PM Modi announced a complete lockdown for 21 days in the country to fight against the COVID Pandemic. This lockdown was more strict compared to the janata Curfew. You can see the viral clip from 9.45 minutes onwards. 

According to the India Today report on 25 March 2020, PM Modi announced complete lockdown across the country for 21 days. He warned people that if the lockdown will not be carried out properly then the pandemic will take the nation 21 years backward. He also appealed to the citizens of the nation to not go out of their houses during this lockdown. He also stressed on the social distance not only for the sick people but for everyone. 

Fact Crescendo English already published an explainer on the newly spread COVID variant JN.1. This explainer covered all the major details on the JN1 variant that we all should know. You can read the explainer article here. 

Conclusion: 

Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. The viral video is a clip from an old speech of PM Modi, when he addressed the nation on COVID-19 pandemic 3 years back. Modi’s 3-year-old video on implementation of lockdown during the initial stage of pandemic shared in the context of new COVID variant JN1.