Indian Officials Did Not Say That the COVID Variant Doesn't Exist

On May 12, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a letter asking social media platforms to remove posts that include the term “Indian variant” in reference to the variant of COVID-19. The request was part of an effort to encourage accuracy and curb the spread of misinformation.

Social media users became suspicious of the announcement, interpreting it to mean that a variant of the virus that originated from India did not exist. Some accused government officials of lying to the public.