'Follow Lockdown Or May Have To Order Shoot-At-Sight': Telangana CM KCR

In a furious statement, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday threatened to impose a round-the-clock curfew and issuing shoot-at-sight orders if the people try to violate the orders, creating panic among people in the state.

"In US, army had to be called in to enforce lockdown. If people don't follow the coronavirus lockdown, a situation may arise where we'll have to impose a 24-hour curfew and issue shoot-at-sight orders. I urge people not to let such a situation arise," KCR said expressing regret over many people who were not taking the lockdown seriously.

The chief minister conducted a high-level review meeting on March 24 after reports of six new cases for COVID-19 virus emerged, taking the overall number in the state to 39.

The meeting was held shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a countrywide lockdown for three weeks from Tuesday midnight. The Centre also put the Disaster management Act in place to impose the lockdown.

Telangana witnessed widespread violation of lockdown in the state and Andhra Pradesh on March 23.

The Chief Minister urged all ministers in Hyderabad to "come on roads" and help the police impose the lockdown.

"At any cost, the situation of bringing in the army, 24-hour curfew or shoot at site orders must not arise," the CM alerted.

He also warned of action against those who sold commodities at hefty prices. "We shall cancel their licences and invoke preventive detention act to prosecute them," he said.

"Evening 7 pm to morning at 6 am, the curfew is imposed. No person will be allowed to move out. If there is an emergency dial 100, police will approach for help. Shops must be closed by 6 pm, if any shop found open a minute late, their license will be cancelled. Irrigation works can progress with high sanitization and precautionary measures," the CM said while addressing the media.

The state government has ordered that passports of those who are home quarantined be taken away; if they violate quarantine, their passports will be suspended.

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