BJP condoles demise of Mahant Avaidyanath

Top leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday offered their condolences and expressed their deep anguish on the demise of former Member of Parliament (MP) Mahant Avaidyanath.

"We are very shocked at his death. He has played an important role in the society. He has always done good for the society. May his soul rest in peace. I believe that not only for the state but also for the entire nation it is a big loss. People respected him a lot, the respect was not confined only in Gorakhpur alone; infact he was known throughout the country," Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told mediapersons here.

Mourning the loss of Mahant Avaidyanath, veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani said, " We have come here to pay gratitude to him; He has served people as an MP also. I met him in Gorakhpur and now I feel sad that he is no more.... he has given a lot to the society. No one can ever do so much. I feel proud that I have come here...... May god bless him and his soul rest in peace."

The 95-year-old Avaidyanath, who had been at the forefront of the Ram Temple movement in Ayodhya, passed away last night in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, after battling a prolonged illness for the past few months.

Avaidyanath, who was the Guru of BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, was admitted to the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon and brought back to Gorakhpur on Friday evening.

The ailing Mahant Avaidyanath had been a Lok Sabha member in the past. He had also been elected four times as the BJP MP from Gorakhpur.