Ram Vilas Vedanti (File photo)
NEW DELHI: Ram Janmabhoomi movement leader and former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ram Vilas Vedanti died of a heart attack in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday at the age of 67, an official told news agency PTI. Vedanti had been admitted to the Superspecialty Hospital attached to Shyam Shah Medical College on Sunday morning and had been unwell for some time, the official added. Explaining his condition, Superspecialty Hospital superintendent Akshay Srivastava told PTI Videos, “When he was admitted, he had blood poisoning (septicemia) infection, which had spread significantly. His blood pressure had dropped significantly and his kidneys had also stopped functioning. Vedanti suffered a heart attack on Sunday night. He was placed on ventilator support. He passed away this morning.” Srivastava said that after Vedanti suffered a heart attack on Sunday, efforts were made to shift him to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal by air ambulance, but the transfer could not be carried out due to poor visibility. Vedanti was the executive president of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust and had earlier been elected to the Lok Sabha from Pratapgarh and Machhali Shahar in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. At the time of his death, he was in Rewa district narrating ‘Katha Bhathwa’ (Lalgaon). Vedanti was born on October 7, 1958, in Gudhwa (Gudh) in the district. Dr Vedanti’s disciple, Chhote Das Maharaj, said his last rites will be performed in Ayodhya.
