"Was Maharashtra Minister Present At Karan Johar's Dinner?" BJP Leader

Adding to the controversy over a dinner at filmmaker Karan Johar's Mumbai home last week, after which Kareena Kapoor Khan and three others tested positive, a BJP leader has questioned whether a Maharashtra minister was also at the get-together.

BJP leader Ashish Shelar said there are discrepancies in versions put out by different people on Karan Johar's dinner party on December 8.

"I want to know whether a Maharashtra minister was present at the dinner party organised at Karan Johar's residence here. There is a discrepancy in the details of the attendees provided out by the celebrities such as Seema Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Is it an attempt to hide some names?" Mr Shelar was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India.

What has been called an "intimate gathering" has come under scrutiny as Mumbai tries to keep the fast-spreading Omicron from driving another surge in the city.

Apart from Kareena Kapoor, those who tested positive for Covid after the party are actor Amrita Arora and two stars of The Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives, Seema Khan and Maheep Kapoor. All four are fully vaccinated.

The homes of Kareena Kapoor, Karan Johar and Amrita Arora have been sanitised and sealed by Mumbai's civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

"As per the information shared by BMC officials with me, Seema Khan did not reveal all the names of people who were present at the dinner at Karan Johar's house. The names she omitted came to light when Kareena Kapoor was contacted by BMC officials for contact tracing. It raises suspicion about the exact number of people who attended that party," Mr Shelar said.

But he did not share any evidence and gave no further details.

The former minister pointed out that the civic agency has been quoted as saying only eight people were at the dinner.

"I wrote a letter to the BMC asking whether it has secured the CCTV footage of the Regency building where Johar resides. If not, why is it delaying it as it would reveal the number of guests present there? I am told by the BMC officials that no such footage has been obtained so far," he said.

In a statement yesterday, Karan Johar said his dinner was for eight guests and could not be called a "party".

"My family and I and everyone at home have done their RTPCR tests and with the grace of God we are all NEGATIVE! In fact I tested twice just to be safe and am negative. I truly appreciate the grandest efforts of the BMC to ensure the safety of our city...Salute to them. To some members of the media, I would like to clarify that a 8 people intimate gathering is not a "party"...And my home which we maintain strict protocols is certainly no "hotspot" of COVID. All of us are responsible and masked at all times and NO one would treat that pandemic lightly... My request to certain members of the media is to exercise some restraint in their extreme reportage without the assessment of facts. Lots of love and safety to all," said the filmmaker.