A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA in Uttar Pradesh has said in the same television discussion where spoke of visiting the Kumbh Mela, that he is also COVID-19 positive.
Reported first by The Logical Indian, Sunil Bharala made the claims in the course of an evening discussion on the news channel NDTV. The topic was the discrepancy in the perception of the large crowds – going against COVID-19 protocol – in the Kumbh Mela at Haridwar and the censure of the congregation at the Nizamuddin Markaz a year ago.
Also read: “It’s pandemic, it’s shocking”: Malaika Arora condemns Kumbh Mela gathering amid covid surge
Bharala, chairman of the state’s Labour Welfare Council, appeared on the Hindi discussion as well as the English one after it. In both he made claims that posited faith above COVID-19 protocols, but he made the assertion that he was coronavirus positive only in the Hindi discussion, on NDTV India.
In the above video, it can be seen that Bharala says he visited the Kumbh Mela for the Sahi Snan bathing ritual.
Kumbh Mela
Defending the crowd and the massive religious congregation, UP BJP leader Sunil Bharala, in an interview with NDTV, said, “Kumbh ki aastha coronavirus see bhaut badi hai (faith of Kumbh is above Coronavirus).”
The BJP leader said that he had attended the Kumbh Mela and tested positive for COVID on April 13.
The leader brazenly said that faith and religious beliefs are above all COVID norms and guidelines.