Fact Check: No, Yogi government did not order oximeters for cows
What the Uttar Pradesh government, in fact, directed was that oximeters should be provided to the staff at the gaushalas or cow shelters.
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FollowOn May 5, a number of media reports emerged of a controversial decision by the Yogi Adityanath administration to ensure the well-being of cows in the state.
A report in the Times of India claimed instructions have been given to every cow shelter (gaushala) to adhere to Covid-19 restrictions.
Around 5,73,417 cows have been sheltered in over 5,268 cow protection centres across the state. The media reports also claimed that cow shelters will also be equipped with oximeters to ensure that the cows are being taken care of properly.
The news spread like wildfire on social media with many accusing Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of having misplaced priorities amid the second wave of Coronavirus sweeping the state.
Turns out, the story is entirely different.
A fact check has revealed that the actual state government order gave directions to all the cow shelters (gaushalas) to strictly follow the Covid-19 protocols and has made the usage of masks and frequent thermal screening mandatory.
And, of course, there are oximeters for cows either.
Additional Chief Secretary (Information), Navneet Sehgal, told television news channel India Today that no such order on using oximeters or thermal scanners for cows had been issued.
What the state government, in fact, directed was that oximeters should be provided to the staff at the gaushalas or cow shelters.
Corrigendum: Asianet Newsable erroneously shared the unverified information on its Twitter feed. The post has been taken down. We regret the error.
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