BJP's Nishikant Dubey denies presence at party attended by Kanika Kapoor in Lucknow

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nishikant Dubey denied all rumours regarding his presence at the party which was attended by singer Kanika Kapoor. Kapoor was tested positive for Coronavirus and has faced severe backlash for not being in self-isolation.

READ: Lucknow DM Orders FIR Against Kanika Kapoor, To Submit Report To Uttar Pradesh Home Dept

Speaking to ANI on Friday, he said, "The party was thrown in Lucknow on March 13 and 14, I was not there. On March 13, 14, and 15, I was in my constituency, Godda, and Deoghar, taking part in government programs there."

Kanika Kapoor confirmed that she has tested positive for COVID-19 after reports started doing the rounds on Friday. In a post on Instagram, the singer shared that she got herself tested after experiencing symptoms, and it came positive. She added that she and her family are in quarantine at the moment and following all medical advice. Kanika also stated that she had tested negative during the airport screening when she returned to India (reportedly from London) 10 days ago. She said the symptoms developed after six days form her return, and that she was feeling alright. The artist also urged citizens to practice self-isolation, while expressing hope that one should not panic, but only follow the instructions at the moment. 

READ: Ex-CM Vasundhara Raje & Son Dushyant Self-isolate After Attending Party With Kanika Kapoor

Dubey also praised the Janta curfew scheduled for March 22, Sunday, saying, "Nothing is better than following the Janta curfew. I have received many phone calls from people in my constituency who said they will support it by imposing self-curfew."

READ: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: MPs Enter Isolation As Fear Reaches Parliament; Cases Cross 200

At least 270 confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in India with four reported deaths. The Union government on Thursday announced that no international flight will be allowed to land in the country for a week from March 22.

In an address to the nation on Thursday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the citizens to be vigilant and not go out unnecessarily. He called for a 'Janta curfew' on Sunday, March 22 from 7 am to 9 pm in an attempt to break the contact chain amongst people. The move is also being widely touted as a testing measure for a possible curfew in the future. PM Modi also urged senior citizens to not step out of their house for the next few weeks.

READ: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Calls For More 'aggressive Testing' To Identify Coronavirus Cases

Globally, around 11,400 people have died due to Coronavirus, with the epicenter being China. The virus has infected around 2,76,000 people globally and has now spread to North America, South America, Europe, New Zealand, and more than 180 other countries.

(with inputs from ANI)