Maharashtra’s social justice minister Dhananjay Munde tests positive for Covid-19

State social justice minister Dhananjay Munde tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday and was admitted to a private hospital within hours of his diagnosis. He is

Published on: Jun 13, 2020, 01:00:46 IST

By Faisal Malik

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State social justice minister Dhananjay Munde tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday and was admitted to a private hospital within hours of his diagnosis. He is stable and asymptomatic. Munde is the third minister from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to test positive for Covid-19.

“We conducted two tests, one came negative but another confirmed he is positive. I had a telephonic conversation with him. He is fine and asymptomatic but has very minor breathing problem, hence we decided to admit him to a city hospital,” health minister Rajesh Tope told reporters. A number of Munde’s staff, including his secretaries, driver and cook, also tested positive for Covid-19.

Munde had attended a state cabinet meeting on Tuesday and Tope said other ministers who were at the meeting would also be tested and quarantined if they show any symptoms of Covid-19. “We are strictly following the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) guidelines, which clearly state tests can be conducted only if a person develops symptoms. If anyone develops symptoms, they will be quarantined and tested,” he said.

Earlier, housing minister Jitendra Awhad and public works department minister Ashok Chavan had tested positive for Covid-19. Both have since recovered.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Faisal Malik
Faisal Malik is a senior journalist with over two and a half decades of experience covering Maharashtra’s politics, governance and public policy with a deep understanding of the state’s political landscape. He is a Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times and has been associated with its Mumbai edition for more than a decade. Based in Mumbai, Faisal currently covers three major political parties in Maharashtra — Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and NCP (Sharad Pawar). Over the years, he has extensively reported on major political developments, combining investigative insights with in-depth field reporting. His coverage has spanned a wide range of issues, from drought, farmer suicides, major development projects and grassroots challenges to major electoral battles, including three Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections — 2014, 2019 and 2024. Before joining Hindustan Times, he worked with ‘The Asian Age’ and ‘Dainik Bhaskar’. An avid tea enthusiast, he enjoys reading history, Urdu literature and classical poetry. When away from the newsroom, he writes Urdu poetry inspired by human emotions, life's experiences, meaningful reflections and relationships. An amateur photographer, Faisal is passionate about capturing moments that often go unnoticed by the naked eye.Read More