Last rites of Bhaiyyuji Maharaj held

The last rites of Madhya Pradesh-based spiritual leader Bhaiyyuji Maharaj, who shot himself on Tuesday due to family tension, were held on Wednesday with his daughter Kuhu lighting the funeral pyre.

His body was brought to the cremation ground from the Suryoday Ashram, in a flower-bedecked open truck, with his followers having erected platforms on the route to pay their last respects.

Earlier this morning, the body of the model-turned-spiritual guru was taken from his residence to the ashram for people to pay their last respects. Among those who did were Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde.

Bhaiyyuji Maharaj (real name Uday Rao Deshmukh), who had prominent followers from different political parties, committed suicide by shooting himself at his residence.

A suicide note mentioned that he took the extreme step due to "stress".

According to information now coming to light, there were major differences between Bhaiyyuji Maharaj's second wife Ayushi and Kuhu (from his first wife, now deceased) and this had caused tension between him and his wife. Kuhu has also blamed her stepmother for her father's suicide.

The 50-year-old guru was recently given the status of a Minister of State by the government in a controversial decision but had declined to accept it.

--IANS

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