Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday tested positive for Covid-19, the first leader in the Narendra Modi cabinet to contract the virus.
Shah (54) himself announced on Twitter about being admitted to hospital after the tests returned positive results for the virus infection and appealed to asked people who came in contact with him in the past few days to isolate themselves and get tested. A diabetic, Shah was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Haryana’s Gurugram, near Delhi.
Sources said he showed Covid-19 symptoms in the past 24 hours and samples were taken for testing and the results came on Sunday.
The Home Minister’s hospitalisation comes at a time he was scheduled to fly to Ayodhya with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5 for the ‘bhumi pujan’ for the Ram temple construction. August 5 also marks the first anniversary of the revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
With Shah in hospital and his meeting Modi on Wednesday have raised speculation about who all will attend the function in Ayodhya.
Government sources said social distancing norms were strictly followed in the Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Modi, with all Ministers and officials wearing masks.
Shah has also chaired a few Group of Ministers in the past few days besides meeting President Ram Nath Kovind on July 20 for the first time since the national lockdown was imposed to fight the pandemic.
-Various Sources.