Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal Hospitalised After Testing COVID-Positive

His son Sukhbir Singh Badal said, "We hospitalised him as a precautionary measure."

Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal.

(Photo: The Quint)

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch and former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal was hospitalised in Ludhiana after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, 19 January.

"He is currently fine, had a mild fever. We hospitalised him as a precautionary measure," ANI quoted his son and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal as saying.

The 94-year-old politician is presently admitted to Dayanand Medical College And Hospital (DMCH) in Ludhiana, news agency PTI reported.

DMCH Medical Superintendent Dr Sandeep Sharma said that Badal had tested positive for coronavirus.

"He is stable," Dr Sharma added.

As per news agency ANI, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi spoke to Parkash Singh Badal and enquired about his health.

Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, India reported 3,17,532 new infections, 491 deaths, and 2,23,990 recoveries on Thursday, 20 January. The number of active cases in the country stands at 19,24,051, while the daily positivity rate is at 16.41 percent.

Meanwhile, a total of 9,287 cases of the Omicron variant have been reported so far.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)