Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat tests positive for COVID-19, isolates self

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Monday informed he has tested positive for COVID-19, adding that he has isolated himself and is doing fine.

"I have tested positive for COVID-19. I am fine and facing no problems. I have isolated myself under the supervision of the doctors. Those who have come in contact with me in the last few days, kindly, be cautious and get yourself tested," Rawat said in a tweet in Hindi.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister was scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Monday for a four-day visit. "He will be here for four days and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other cabinet ministers," an official from the Chief Minister's office had earlier informed.

Rawat, who triggered a controversy with his remarks on women wearing ripped jeans, on Sunday, stoked another row, saying people should have produced more children to get extra ration during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing an event at Uttarakhand's Ramnagar, Rawat said, "Jisne 20 bacche paida kiye usse humne ek quintal anaj diya. Jisne do paida kiye unko 10 kilo. Jab waqt tha toh bacche paida kiye nhi....ab jisko jayada aanaj mil raha hai usse jalan kaisi (the family with 20 kids were distributed one quintal of rice while the family with two kids got 10 kgs of rice. You did not give birth to enough kids when there was time...so there is nothing to be jealous of)."

He also made a factual error when he said in this speech that "America enslaved India for 200 years".

"As opposed to other countries, India is doing better in terms of handling the COVID-19 crisis. America, which enslaved us for 200 years and ruled the world, is struggling in current times," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )