Amit Shah on Saturday said he was 'totally healthy' and not suffering from any ailment, dispelling rumours about his health on social media.

In a signed statement, the Union home minister said that in the last couple of days, rumours have been spread by 'some friends' about his health and that 'some people even wished me dead' through tweets.

'I am totally healthy and I am not suffering from any disease,' he said in the statement in Hindi which was posted on his Twitter handle.

Shah said India was currently battling the Covid-19 pandemic and as the home minister of the country, he had been busy working late into the nights and hence, he did not notice the rumours.

'When I came to know about it, I thought I'd let these rumour-mongers be happy and hence did not give any clarification,' he said.

But in the past two days, Shah said, lakhs of BJP workers and his well-wishers had expressed their concerns. So, he could not overlook their worry.

'That is why I want to make it clear today that I am totally healthy and I am not suffering from any disease,' he said.

Shah said that according to Hindu beliefs, such rumours make a person healthier and that he would expect these rumour-mongers to mind their own business leaving him to do his work.

'I express my gratitude to all party workers and well-wishers for expressing concern and inquiring about my health. I thank those who have spread the rumours and want to say that I have no ill-feeling for them,' he added.

Four held for rumour-mongering

Four persons were detained by Ahmedabad police on Saturday for allegedly spreading misinformation about Shah's health by creating a fake Twitter account in his name.

A screenshot of a fake Twitter account in Shah's name with his photo, claiming that he was suffering from a serious ailment, had gone viral on social media platforms, police said.

The suspects were detained from Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar and they were being questioned, the police said.

A case has been registered in this regard under Sections 66(c) (punishment for identity theft) and 66(d) (cheating by personation using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act, the police said.