Bihar BJP HQ Becomes Covid-19 Hotspot As 75 Leaders, Staff Test Positive; Party Office Sealed

Samples of about 100 people including BJP leaders and the staff working at the state BJP headquarters in Patna were collected on Monday.

Bihar BJP vice-presidents Radhan Mohan Sharma and Rajesh Sharma have also been found COVID-19 positive. (Getty Image)

Patna: In a highly shocking development, the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters at Birchandra Patel Road in Bihar's Patna has recently emerged as the latest Coronavirus hotspot after at least 75 BJP leaders and staff members were found to be infected with the COVID-19 virus. According to the reports, samples of about 100 people including BJP leaders and the staff working at the state BJP headquarters in Patna were collected on Monday. The test reports on Tuesday revealed that out of 100, as many as 75 were positive for Coronavirus infection. Among those who got infected by the novel disease include saffron party's general secretary Nagendra and state general secretary Devesh Kumar. Besides these, state vice-presidents Radhan Mohan Sharma and Rajesh Sharma have also been found COVID-19 positive. A Times Now report quoted state's party president Sanjay Jaiswal as saying, "Only 24 samples are positive. These reports are of preliminary rapid tests and we are still awaiting the results of the comprehensive QT-RPR. None of those who have tested positive are having any symptoms. Yet, by way of abundant caution, they have all quarantined themselves at home" Soon after these leaders and staff tested positive for the deadly disease, the district administration sealed the BJP office and declared the area to be a containment zone. The authorities will soon carry out the sanitisation process at the BJP headquarters in Patna. It is to be noted that many of the senior BJP leaders were recently engaged in virtual rallies on daily basis in different districts of the poll-bound Bihar. Meanwhile, following the alarming surge in the number of Coronavirus cases, Bihar government has decided to impose complete lockdown in the state starting from July 16 till July 31. In an official order issued on Tuesday July 14, the Home department under the government of Bihar stated that there is an alarming surge in COVID-19 positive cases in the state in last three weeks. The Government has examined the matter in detail and is convinced that the requirement for a lockdown in following manner is inevitable and urgent to contain the further spread of the COVID-19 within the State, the notice read.