Thousands of women flocked to the Bengaluru General Post Office (GPO) on Monday after a false rumour spread claiming that political parties would deposit Rs 8,000 into their post-office accounts.
Chaos at the GPO
The rumour, circulated via WhatsApp and RWA groups, led to a massive crowd assembling at the GPO as early as 3 am. GPO officials had to deploy additional personnel to manage the influx of people and sought police assistance to regulate the crowd.
False Beliefs
Many believed that opening an account with the India Post Payment Bank would make them eligible for the cash incentive. The misinformation led hundreds of women to believe that Monday was the last day for registration, prompting them to rush to the GPO.
Clarification from Authorities
HM Manjesh, chief postmaster at the GPO, clarified that there was no such cash incentive programme announced by the postal department. Despite putting up posters to inform the public, over 2,000 women had reached the GPO by the afternoon.
Increased Account Openings
While the GPO usually opened around 100 to 200 accounts daily, the influx of people due to the false rumours led to an increase in daily openings, with 700 to 800 accounts being opened daily over the past week.