Union minister of state Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday wentinto self quarantine with “immediate effect” after he got to know that theJammu and Kashmir BJP chief whom he met on July 12 has tested positive forcoronavirus.

“Have gone into Self-Quarantine with immediate effect from 4PM today, after receiving the news about Corona positive test of J&K BJPPresident Sh Ravinder Raina who had accompanied us from Srinagar to Bandiporaon 12th July,” Dr Jitendra Singh said in a Twitter post.

Sources confided to HT that Ravinder Raina, the “vociferous”BJP leader, has been hospitalised in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana SuperSpecialty hospital in Kakryal in Reasi district.

“For five days I was in Bandipora where our party leaderSheikh Waseem Bari, his brother and their father were martyred. Covid infectionrate is more in Kashmir and this morning I had a mild fever. My first reporttested me positive, though I am asymptomatic. I am going for a second test andwill follow all the guidelines of the health ministry and the J&K administration,”he told HT.

It may be stated here that Raina had been staying back inBandipora following the killing of Sheikh Waseem Bari, his brother and theirfather.

Raina had met several people during the funeral of thedeceased party leader and other members.

The administration has now started contact tracing.

“All the top BJP leaders, including party general secretaryRam Madhav, union minister Dr Jitendra Singh and vice president Avinash RaiKhanna and workers, will be quarantined and tested as per contact tracingprotocol due to contact with party president Ravinder Raina who has tested positive,”said a party leader.

On July 12, accompanied by Raina, BJP’s national generalsecretary Ram Madhav, union minister Dr Jitendra Singh and BJP’s national vicepresident Avinash Rai Khanna had visited the residence of Bari to express theircondolences to the family.

The virus has started witnessing a sudden spike in Jammu andKashmir where the wife and son of an adviser to lieutenant governor and twosenior IAS officers have tested positive.

Ram Madhav’s personal secretary, who picked up hiscellphone, informed that he was busy in a meeting and will get back about his statusand whether he will undergo a Covid-19 test.

BJP vice president Avinash Rai Khanna said that he has beentested negative.