Rewa/Ayodhya, Dec 15 (PTI) Ram Janmabhoomi movement leader and former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ram Vilas Vedanti died of a heart attack at the age of 67 in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa on Monday, an official said. Vedanti’s disciple Chhote Das Maharaj said his last rites will be performed in Ayodhya. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya expressed their condolences on Vedanti’s death, calling it an irreparable loss to the Sanatan Dharma. Vedanti had been ill for some time and was admitted to the Superspecialty Hospital, affiliated to Shyam Shah Medical College, here on the morning of December 14, the official added. “When he was admitted, he had blood poisoning (septicemia) infection, which had spread significantly. His blood pressure dropped, and his kidneys also stopped functioning,” Super Specialty Hospital Superintendent Akshay Srivastava told PTI Videos. “Vedanti suffered a heart attack on Sunday night, after which he was on a ventilator. He passed away this morning,” Srivastava said. After the heart attack, an attempt was made to transport him by air ambulance to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal. However, the dense fog scuppered the plan, Srivastava added. Ayodhya Mayor Girishpati Tripathi told PTI that Vedanti had come to Rewa on December 10 to narrate “Katha Bhathwa” in Lalgaon, Rewa district. During this time, his health deteriorated, and he was admitted to a hospital. Born on 7 October 1958 in Gudhwa (Gudh), Rewa district, Vedanti was the executive president of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust and was a Member of Parliament on the BJP ticket from Uttar Pradesh’s Machhlishahar (1996 to 1998) and Pratapgarh (19998). Vedanti’s body was brought to Ayodhya on Monday, his successor, Mahant Raghavesh Das, said. Ram Vilas Vedanti was a disciple of Mahant Abhiram Das of Hanumangarhi, who was the key person in placing the idols of Ram Lalla in Babri Masjid in 1949, said Mahant Raghavesh Das. Vedanti lived at Hindu Dham Naya Ghat in Ayodhya and also has an ashram called Vashishth Bhavan, he added. Expressing his condolences, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a post on X: “The demise of Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti Ji Maharaj, a prominent figure in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi movement, former Member of Parliament, and revered saint of Vashishtha Ashram in Ayodhya Dham, is an irreparable loss to our spiritual world and our humble loss to our San Dharte!” “His departure is the end of an era. His life, devoted to the service of religion, society and the nation, is an inspiration to us all,” Adityanath said. “We pray to Lord Ram to give the departed soul a place at His divine feet and to give strength to his bereaved disciples and followers to bear this immense grief. Om Shanti!” Adityanath said on X. Expressing grief over the demise of Ram Vilas Vedanti, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, in a post on X, said: “The news of the demise of Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti Ji Maharaj, a revered saint, former Member of Parliament, and a leading figure of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, who played an important role in the Shmi Ramma movement, Janbhoo-Ramma movement. is saddened.” “His demise is an irreparable loss to the spiritual world. His life of selfless service dedicated to religion, society and the nation will always be a source of inspiration for us all,” Maurya said. Disclaimer: This story was published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.