Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, Son of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Tests Positive for Coronavirus

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The news of the infection came hours before Rajnath Singh is set to leave for Russia to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh on Tuesday night said he has tested positive for the coronavirus. Pankaj, a BJP MLA from Noida and the party’s Uttar Pradesh vice-president, has been admitted to a hospital.

“On getting the initial symptoms of coronavirus, I got myself tested and the report has come positive. I have got hospitalised on the advice of doctors. I request that all of you, who have come in contact with me in the last a few days, please isolate yourself and get your inquiry done,” Pankaj Singh said in a tweet in Hindi.

कोरोना के शुरूआती लक्षण दिखने पर मैंने टेस्ट करवाया और रिपोर्ट पॉजिटिव आई है। डॉक्टर्स की सलाह पर अस्पताल में भर्ती हुआ हूँ। मेरा अनुरोध है कि आप में से जो भी लोग गत कुछ दिनों में मेरे संपर्क में आयें हैं, कृपया स्वयं को आइसोलेट कर अपनी जाँच करवाएं।— Pankaj Singh (@PankajSinghBJP) September 1, 2020

The news of the infection comes hours before Rajnath Singh is set to leave for Russia to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is expected to deliberate on regional security scenario.

Besides attending the SCO defence ministers’ meeting, Singh will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu and several other top military officials with an aim to expedite the implementation of several defence procurement programmes.

Pankaj Singh in March had isolated himself as a precautionary measure after it emerged he was in a room for a press conference with UP Health Minister Jay Pratap Singh, who was in a party with singer Kanika Dhillon in Lucknow.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Minority Welfare Mohsin Raza, Rural Development Minister Rajendra Pratap Singh; Ayush Minister Dharam Singh Saini; Youth Development Minister Upendra Tiwari; Atul Garg, Minister of State for Medical, Health and Family Welfare; and Chaudhary Udaybhan Singh, Minister of State for Khadi and Villages Industries, tested positive for the infection. UP Industries Minister (Cabinet) Satish Mahana, Health Minister (Cabinet) Jai Pratap Singh, Jal Shakti Minister Mahendra Singh and Law Minister Brajesh Pathak too have tested positive for COVID-19.

Two UP Cabinet ministers — Kamal Rani Varun and Chetan Chauhan — have succumbed to COVID-19.

(With inputs from PTI)