Through the first week of July, Instagram reels began warning of a ‘Bharat Bandh’. Many were alarmist. Thumbnails urged people “not to step out of home”, said India was “on high alert”, and claimed public services would be disrupted on July 15. The shutdown, they said, was about E20 petrol.
Many of these videos were by regional TV anchors – from Network18, TV9, News1 India, Zee News, News Nation and Bharat24 – posting from their personal handles, in the register they use on air.
