Will PM quarantine as Ram Temple trust head tested COVID-19 +ve: Raut

Mumbai: After Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, head of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, recently tested positive for Covid-19, Shiv Sena on Sunday asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go under quarantine as he came in close contact with the Mahant during the bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5.

In his weekly column RokhThok in Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana, MP Sanjay Raut questioned if the PM will follow the quarantine regulations.

“75-year-old Mahant Nritya was present on the stage on August 5 at the bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram Temple. It was clearly seen that he had not covered his face with a mask. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat came in contact with the Mahant. PM Modi held his hand with reverence. So, will our PM will also be quarantined,” Raut asked in his column published on Sunday.

Raut also took potshots at the BJP union minister of state Arjun Ram Meghwal, who had made claims that a particular brand of the ubiquitous Indian snack, ‘papad’, had a role in boosting the immunity and antibodies that could help cure Covid-19. “India is stuck in the wave of Bhabhiji Papad, while in Russia a vaccine has been found for Covid-19... This is a lesson on atmanirbharta (self-reliance) shown by Russia. We, on the other hand, will keep giving speeches on Atmanirbharta,” the Sena leader said in a veiled jibe referring to PM Modi’s speech on Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The Sena leader, who recently visited New Delhi after a gap of few months said that the capital is in the grip of Covid-19.

“At present, Amit Shah is also in isolation after contracting the infection. Even former president Pranab Mukherjee has been tested positive for the virus and his health is also in a worrisome state. At present, all cabinet members, bureaucrats, parliament members are vulnerable to falling prey to the lethal infection. Even during riots and war, Delhi was not so frightened as it is today. The city seems to be a bit more scared now. Although the fear of PM Modi and Shah was already mongering, but the fear of coronavirus is more,” Raut said.