Acharya Pradeep Das, the assistant to the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, said that he has tested positive for coronavirus. Besides, 16 policemen on duty at Ayodhya, where the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony for the Ram temple is scheduled to be held on August 5, have also tested positive for Covid-19.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the ceremony along with about 200 guests. Last Saturday, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited the Ram Janmabhoomi complex to review preparations for the August 5 event. In Ayodhya, huge preparations are being planned for the three-day Vedic rituals at the Ram Janmabhoomi site. The rituals will start on August 3 and end with a ‘bhumi pujan’ on August 5 before the building of the much-awaited temple begins.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust has allotted an appeal to all saints across the nation to perform puja in their respective temples and Maths from 11.30 am to 12.30 pm on August 5. Champat Rai, General Secretary of the Trust, urged people to watch the live telecast of Bhoomi Pujan on television and light lamps at home in the evening.

Meanwhile, Trust sources said that the programme will go ahead as planned, maintaining all the safety rules for Covid-19. Ayodhya, at present, has 375 active cases of coronavirus while Uttar Pradesh has 29,997 cases.