Fact Check: Claim about Ram Mandir trust chief testing positive for COVID-19 is TRUE
By Mounika Dasari Published on 14 Aug 2020 9:30 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A post about Ram Mandir Trust chief Mahant Nitya Gopaldas testing positive is going viral on Twitter. "Ram Mandir Trust chief Mahant Nitya Gopaldas who was present on last week ceremony tests positive for coronavirus," tweeted Mohammed Zubair along with temple inauguration images.
Within 24 hours the post notched 4,400 likes and 1,400 Retweets.
In one image the temple chief is seen without a mask while sharing a stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
One user tweeted, "Without a mask".
Another user tweeted, "My question is, why wasn't he wearing a mask? Not that I am complaining".
Archived claim can be found here.
Fact Check:
The claim that Ram Mandir chief tested COVID-19 positive is TRUE.
As per NDTV, head of Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust or the Ram Temple trust in Ayodhya, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, 82, has tested positive for coronavirus. He was among the five people on the stage at the grand ceremony at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on August 5.
He shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, U.P. Governor Anandiben Patel, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat.
As per ANI, UP CM Yogi has enquired about the health of Mahant Nitya Gopaldas. He spoke to DM Mathura and Dr. Trehan of Medanta and requested for immediate medical attention
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be unfurling a tricolor at Red Fort on Aug 15. Those who will stand next to him are undergoing the COVID-19 test. In July, the security personnel and other staff, who will be a part of the function, were asked to quarantine themselves till August 15.
As per the Print, it is not clear what action will PM Modi take in the wake of this development. Asked if PM Modi, who attended the bhoomi pujan along with Das, will quarantine himself, PMO spokesperson V. Ravi Rama Krishna said they have not heard anything on the matter so far.
Hence, the claim that the temple trust chief tested positive for corona is TRUE.
This fact check has been published as part of the Internews Information Saves Lives: Rapid Response Fund project to NewsMeter
