As Ayodhya gears up for the grand foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Ram Temple on August 5 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the shadow of coronavirus lingers over the event after a priest and four security personnel tested positive for Covid-19.
Ayodhya District Magistrate Anuj Jha issued a clarification and said only four police personnel and one 'seh pujari' has tested positive inside the Ram Janmabhoomi complex.
Pradeep Das, who has tested positive for coronavirus, is the ‘shishya’ of Acharya Satendra Das and is one of the four priests who performs puja regularly at the site.
Das has now been placed under home quarantine and contact tracing is being done. Some media personnel who interviewed Das earlier on Wednesday have also been a worried lot.
As per the latest figures of the UP Health Department, 66 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Ayodhya on Wednesday. Till date, 605 people have been discharged from hospitals while there were 375 active cases. Thirteen people have died in the district so far.
Security arrangements in Ayodhya have been beefed up ahead of Modi’s visit. During this time, along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, dignitaries from across the country will also be present. Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the grandeur and publicity of the Bhoomi Poojan programme. Two waterproof ‘pandals’ and a small platform will also be built.
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