Bhopal: Founder and managing director of IB Group Bahadur Ali recently met union minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Giriraj Singh and apprised him of rumours being spread by vested interests correlating deadly coronavirus with consumption of livestock products including domestic fowl. Ali informed the union minister that the rumours are not only harming the poultry business but also the farmers, who are directly associated with it. “All farmers cultivating corn and soya are directly associated with poultry business and they are being affected due to false narratives about transmission of the deadly virus through the poultry products,” Ali informed the minister.
The minister after being apprised of the fake news directed officials from his department to release an official clarification educating people about the misconception. The minister also urged the people through the letter to inform the ministry about the rumour mongers, who are responsible for spreading the false news.
Gulrej Alam, director of the group along with Rickky Thapar and poultry expert Vijay Sardana also showed fake messages being spread by anti-social elements using various social media platforms.
“This is to clarify that the predominant route of transmission of the coronavirus appears to be human to human as per OIE, though it has had an animal source, which requires further investigation. Poultry has not been found to be involved in transmission of the virus to human so far in any report globally. Thus with present knowledge of affairs, consumption of poultry products may be considered safe. General principles of hygiene, however, may be followed as per suggestions of the WHO/OIE,” read a letter issued by Dr Praveen Malik, Commissioner Animal Husbandry.