New Delhi: August has begun on a sombre note for India’s politicians, with six of them testing positive for Covid-19 and one dying of it.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P. Chidambaram, tested positive for the novel coronavirus Monday.
Karti, an MP from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, is under home quarantine. He has urged all those who came in contact with him to follow medical protocol.
I have just tested positive for #Covid. My symptoms are mild and as per medical advice I am under home quarantine. I would urge all those who have recently been in contact with me to follow medical protocol.
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) August 3, 2020
On Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tested positive and requested all those who had come in touch with him in the past few days to isolate themselves and get tested.
Besides, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, UP state BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh, and UP Jal Shakti Minister Mahendra Singh tested positive Sunday.
On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Technical Education Minister Kamla Rani Varun died of coronavirus.
While most of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings are now held online, cabinet meetings are not virtual.
Shah, 55, had attended a cabinet meeting last Wednesday that approved the new National Education Policy. There, Shah had come in direct contact with PM Modi, I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
I wholeheartedly welcome the approval of the National Education Policy 2020! This was a long due and much awaited reform in the education sector, which will transform millions of lives in the times to come! #NewEducationPolicyhttps://t.co/N3PXpeuesG
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 29, 2020
At the meeting, all the ministers maintained social distancing and wore masks.
Also read: Why so many politicians have got Covid, and what they should do to prevent infection
Ministers, MLAs in other states hit by Covid
In July, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tested positive for the virus. He tweeted Sunday from the hospital, saying he is doing well and that he has no symptoms of Covid.
आज अस्पताल में मेरा नौंवा दिन है। मैं स्वस्थ हूं, कोरोना का कोई लक्षण नहीं है। सुबह सैम्पल RT-PCR टेस्ट के लिए लिया गया है। रिपोर्ट निगेटिव आई तो कल अस्पताल से छुट्टी मिल जायेगी।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 2, 2020
He also wished Shah and Yediyurappa a speedy recovery.
गृह मंत्री मा. श्री @AmitShah जी, ईश्वर आपको शीघ्र पूर्णतः स्वस्थ करें और आप पूरी ऊर्जा के साथ देश सेवा में जुट जाएं।
हम सबकी शुभकामनाएं आपके साथ हैं! https://t.co/SH6AamGCtP
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 2, 2020
Besides Chouhan, nine MLAs had tested positive for coronavirus last month in Madhya Pradesh, following which the state government banned political rallies, agitations and public meetings until 14 August.
BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia had tested positive in June.
In Karnataka, Tourism Minister C.T. Ravi had tested positive on 14 July.
In Maharashtra, five ministers in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government had tested positive earlier.
Among them were Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar and Congress’ Aslam Shaikh, who holds the textiles, port and fisheries portfolio — both tested positive in July-end.
NCP ministers Dhananjay Munde and Jitendra Awhad, and PWD Minister Ashok Chavan of the Congress had tested positive in June, April and May, respectively.
In Tamil Nadu, Labour Minister Nilofer Kafeel had tested positive on 17 July, the fourth minister in the state to be diagnosed with Covid-19 after K.P. Anbalagan (Higher Education), Sellur K. Raju (Cooperation) and P. Thangamani (Electricity).
A day earlier, on 16 July, Shailesh Kumar, a minister in the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, tested positive.
In June, Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj had tested positive for the virus, forcing Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to go into quarantine.
In Telangana, senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao tested positive in June.
Besides Rao, two TRS MLAs, Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy and Bajireddy Govardhan, tested positive for Covid-19 in the same month.
Also read: Why coronavirus is making India’s politicians nervous
These days, those who go out bravely and work for self and country are more prone to contact the virus than those who sit back and do nothing!!!
What a subject for reporting!
How has it started for themedia?