OdishaPlus Bureau

Head of the Ram Mandir trust Mahant Nitiya Gopaldas, who shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ ceremony for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya last week, has tested positive for COVID-19. The news was confirmed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The CM spoke to the Mathura district magistrate and requested for immediate medical attention in this regard.

Adityanath, UP Governor Anandiben Patel and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has also shared the stage with Modi and Gopaldas at the August 5 event.

The prime minister’s security cover in Ayodhya was made up of 150 personnel who had recovered from the novel coronavirus. They were to form the first layer of protection. A larger security detail would include 400 additional personnel who had tested negative for Covid-19 in the previous 48 hours and then been isolated.

Days before the event, the head priest and 14 UP policemen had tested positive for coronavirus. An Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister had died from the disease on August 02 while Union home minister Amit Shah and UP’s state BJP president had tested positive for COVID-19 the same day.

PM Modi laid the primary brick for a Ram Temple at Ayodhya on the mega ceremony last Wednesday. He returned to the holy metropolis after 29 years to take part within the “Bhoomi Pujan” or the groundbreaking ceremony for the temple, which meets a core promise of the ruling BJP.