J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina tests +ve for virus

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE Party’s top leaders go into quarantine

JAMMU : Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina, who had visited slain colleague Waseem Bari’s residence along with several other leaders in Kashmir’s Bandipora, tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

“For five days I was in Bandipora where our party leader Sheikh Waseem Bari, his brother and their father were martyred. Covid infection rate is more in Kashmir and this morning I had a mild fever. My first report tested me positive, though I am asymptomatic. I am going for second test and will follow all the guidelines of the health ministry and the J&K administration,” he told HT.

As per sources, he has been hospitalised in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Super Specialty Hospital in Kakryal, Reasi district.

As Raina had met several people during the funeral in Bandipora, the administration has started contact tracing.

A party member said, “All the top BJP leaders, including party general secretary Ram Madhav, Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh and vice president Avinash Rai Khanna, besides workers will be quarantined and tested as per contact tracing protocol due to contact with Raina, who has tested positive.”

“Have gone into self-quarantine with immediate effect from 4pm today, after receiving the news about #Corona positive test of J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina who had accompanied us from Srinagar to Bandipora

on 12th July,” Dr Jitendra Singh posted on his Twitter handle.

Similarly, Ram Madhav tweeted, “Am quarantining myself for a few days since my colleague and BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina tested positive for Covid-19 today and I was

with him 48 hours ago in Srinagar. I tested negative five times in last two weeks. Yet taking precautions to ensure my safety and others’. I wish speedy recovery for Raina.”

BJP vice-president Khanna said he has been tested negative.