New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah has tested positive for coronavirus, he tweeted on Sunday afternoon. The senior BJP leader said that he is being admitted to a hospital.
“On seeing early symptoms, I got myself tested and the report has come out positive. My health is fine but on the advice of doctors, I am getting admitted to hospital. I request that those who have come in contact with me over the last few days to please isolate yourselves and get tested,” he wrote.
कोरोना के शुरूआती लक्षण दिखने पर मैंने टेस्ट करवाया और रिपोर्ट पॉजिटिव आई है। मेरी तबीयत ठीक है परन्तु डॉक्टर्स की सलाह पर अस्पताल में भर्ती हो रहा हूँ। मेरा अनुरोध है कि आप में से जो भी लोग गत कुछ दिनों में मेरे संपर्क में आयें हैं, कृपया स्वयं को आइसोलेट कर अपनी जाँच करवाएं।
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 2, 2020
Shah has been admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon.
Less than an hour after Shah’s tweet, UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh made a similar announcement on Twitter. He, however, said he is home quarantining at the moment, based on doctors’ orders.
डॉक्टर की सलाह पर मैं वर्तमान में अपने आवास पर होम क्वारंटाइन हूँ। मेरा सभी प्रदेश्वासियों से निवेदन है कि पूरी सावधानी बरतें और सरकार की गाइडलाइन का सख़्ती से पालन करे।
— Swatantra Dev Singh (@swatantrabjp) August 2, 2020
On Sunday, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit also tested positive for coronavirus. According to The News Minute, 88-year-old Purohit has been admitted to Kauvery Hospital in Chennai and is stable.
In the evening, Union minister Babul Supriyo tweeted to say that he had met Shah “day before” and that he will be self-isolating.
I had met Honble HM Shri @AmitShah ji day before in the evening • I am advised by Doctors to confine myself, away from my family members, for the next few days with a test to be done soon •
Shall abide with all precautionary measures as per Rules & Protocol #COVID19 #AmitShah— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) August 2, 2020
Shah had taken part in a cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s residence on Wednesday, July 29, reporters said. According to reports, government sources claim that “there is a strict protocol at PM’s residence since the last few months due to coronavirus”, and that “temperature checks, Aarogya Setu checks, no use of internal cars to ferry people, are some of the measures that have been adopted”.
It is unclear who the home minister and the UP party head have come in contact with over the last few days. Neither the Ministry of Home Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office or the BJP has so far confirmed if Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have met Shah recently.
More so, if Shah was planning to attend the the Ram Mandir ‘bhoomi pujan’ scheduled in Ayodhya on August 5, he will be unable to do so now. Nor should any other leaders who he may have been in touch with in the government, BJP or the Sangh parivar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the event and lay the foundation stone. The construction of the Ram temple has long been a poll promise for Modi and the BJP. The event has come under criticism for flouting health protocols released by the home ministry itself on July 29 under the Unlock 3 guidelines.
With just a few days to go before the event, the Uttar Pradesh government has yet to release a proper list of dos and don’ts. Over the last 24 hours, 54,735 cases were reported in India, taking the total number of cases to 17,50,723.