Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra chief mahant Nritya Gopal Das tested positive for COVID-19 in Mathura on Wednesday morning, officials said. After the quick intervention of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he was shifted to the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. Health officials in Mathura said he was stable and was “largely asymptomatic”.
Mr. Das, who is also the head of the Krishna Janambhoomi Trust, was in Mathura to lead the Krishna Janmashtami celebrations. “In fact, he offered prayers at the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple on Wednesday night,” Rohit Mishra, Additional Superintendent of Police (Security), Mathura told The Hindu.
Mr. Das was present on stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5. However, a source in the Prime Minister’s Office said that the PM was “not isolating” and is “on course to the Independence Day address”.
Earlier, Sarvagya Ram Mishra, District Magistrate, Mathura said the mahant, who was staying at an ashram in Mathura, complained of fever and slight breathlessness on Wednesday morning, following which doctors were called and a rapid antigen test was conducted, which came out to be positive. “Doctors have said he is stable. The fever has come down. On the directions of the CM, mahant-ji is being shifted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram,” Mr. Mishra told reporters.
Chitresh Kumar, Additional Chief Medical Officer said Mr. Das was almost asymptomatic. “He had mild fever and cough. All other parameters were fine. But we did not want to take any chances,” he said. Mr. Kumar said that samples of six of Mr. Das’ associates, including the secretary of Krishna Janmabhoomi Seva Sansthan, have been taken for COVID-19 testing.
On how the 82-year-old was given permission to travel to Mathura when the district administration had stopped the entry of devotees coming from other cities, Radhey Shyam Sharma, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) said, “Being the head of the Krishna Janmabhoomi Nyas, he did not require any permission.”
Meanwhile, in Lucknow, Awanish Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary-Home said the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had spoken to Dr. Naresh Trehan of Medanta Hospital and requested immediate medical attention for the mahant at the hospital.
