Political leaders mourn Vinod Khanna's demise

BJP leaders today mourned the death of actor-politician Vinod Khanna, remembering him as a versatile actor and a great human being.

The 70-year-old actor died of bladder cancer at a hospital in Mumbai this morning.

Khanna joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1997 and was a Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, Punjab. The sitting MP had won the seat four times.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted, "Condolences on sad demise of veteran actor & BJP MP Shri #VinodKhanna ji, may God render peace to the departed soul & solace to his family.

"Shri #VinodKhanna ji was a great actor and a gentleman politician - will miss him."
 

"Pained by the sad demise of #VinodKhanna, my colleague in NDA-1 govt, a legendary actor & MP. My condolences to his family. May his soul RIP," Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari called him a versatile actor.

"I deeply mourn the demise of senior @BJP4India parliamentarian Vinod Khanna, a versatile film personality and a great human being," he wrote.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remembered Khanna as a Bollywood legend.

"Saddened to know about the demise of one of the greatest legends of Indian cinema, former Union Minister and BJP MP @ Vinod Khannaji," Fadnavis tweeted.

He said Khanna will be remembered forever for his contribution not just in the Indian film industry but also in politics.