Nine senior RSS members contract Covid-19 at Nagpur headquarters, hospitalised

NAGPUR: At least nine senior RSS functionaries, housed at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters at Mahal in central Nagpur, have tested positive for coronavirus. All the infected full-time senior swayamsevaks-- most of whom are aged 60 years and above-- have been shifted to a private nursing home in the city for treatment.

According to the people privy to the developments, as many as nine senior functionaries were infected and almost all of them suffer from hypertension and diabetes.

“They are stable and responding to the medicines,” a senior swayamsevak preferring anonymity, said.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi, who also reside in the same building, are out of station. “They were informed about the development,” the senior functionary quoted above said, and added that almost all the infected members were found asymptomatic.

In view of the growing cases at the RSS headquarters, entire premises including all rooms inside the building have been sanitized.

Meanwhile, the guardian minister for Nagpur district, Nitin Raut, too, has tested positive for Covid-19. Raut, who is also the minister for energy, took to Twitter to inform his followers.

“I have been tested positive for Covid-19 today. I would like to request all those who have come in contact with me in the past few days to get themselves tested as a precautionary measure. Stay Safe everyone and take care,” the minister tweeted. His wife, Sumedha also tested positive for the disease and was admitted to a private nursing home.

Earlier, union minister for transport and Lok Sabha member from Nagpur, Nitin Gadkari, had tested positive.

Due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in Nagpur, a Janata curfew would be observed in the city on Saturdays and Sundays in the remaining two weeks of this month and a decision on extending it will be taken after September 30, said city mayor Sandip Joshi.