Former MP Mahant Avaidyanath passes away, PM Narendra Modi condoles

Former MP Mahant 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, 95, was the Guru of BJP MP Yogi Adityanath.

He was admitted to the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon and brought back to Gorakhpur on Friday evening.

"Saddened over the demise of Mahant Avaidyanath. He will be remembered for his patriotic zeal and determined efforts to serve the society," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoling the passing of Avaidyanath.

Yogi Adityanath said, "In the Gurgaon hospital, the authorities dint allowed anybody to meet him. Everybody was sent back. For them, we will be keeping his body for a day so that people can seek his blessings."

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.