17 MPs test positive for COVID-19 as Parliament session gets under way

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 14

As many as 17 Lok Sabha MPs have tested COVID-19 positive in the mandatory screening tests they needed to undergo to participate in the Monsoon Session proceedings that started on Monday.

Of these 17, 12 are from the BJP, including senior leader Meenakshi Lekhi who publicly shared her status asking everyone who met her to get tested.

Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal also tested positive in the screening organised by Parliament Secretariat.

Beniwal, who represents RLP, a BJP ally, took to Twitter to share two reports of RTPCR tests conducted at a distance of one day — one in Jaipur and another in New Delhi on September 12.

While the Jaipur report is negative, the New Delhi one is positive with Beniwal saying, “I don’t understand this. One of these two reports has to be wrong. God knows which one. People should judge.”

Among other Covid positive Lok Sabha MPs are two from Jagan Reddy-led YSRCP and one each from DMK and Shiv Sena.

Eight Rajya Sabha MPs are also learnt to have tested Covid positive.

Only Covid negative MPs have been allowed to attend Parliament proceedings.

The rest have been told to quarantine.