Adityanath pays tribute to Ram Janmabhoomi leader Vedanti in Ayodhya

Ayodhya (UP), Dec 16 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday visited Ayodhya to pay tributes to former BJP MP and prominent Ram Janmabhoomi movement leader Ram Vilas Vedanti, who passed away a day earlier following a heart attack.

Adityanath offered floral tributes to Vedanti, a revered saint of the Vashishtha Ashram, remembering him as a life dedicated to the cause of Lord Ram and national service.

In a post on X, the chief minister said Vedanti's "entire life of sacrifice devoted to 'Ram kaj and rashtra seva' will always remain memorable and inspirational". He added, "May Lord Ram grant the departed soul a place at His divine feet".

During his visit to the temple town, the chief minister also offered prayers at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple and the Hanumangarhi shrine, officials said.

Vedanti, 67, died at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district, where he had been undergoing treatment after his health deteriorated. Hospital authorities said he had suffered from septicemia and multiple organ failure before succumbing to a heart attack.

A key figure of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Vedanti was the executive president of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust and had represented Machhlishahar and Pratapgarh constituencies in Uttar Pradesh as a BJP MP between 1996 and 1999. He was also a disciple of Mahant Abhiram Das of Hanumangarhi and lived at Vashishtha Bhavan in Ayodhya.

Vedanti's body was brought to Ayodhya for last rites, which are to be performed in the temple town, according to his disciples. In an earlier condolence message, Adityanath described Vedanti's death as an "irreparable loss" to the spiritual world and Sanatan Dharma, saying his life of service to religion, society, and the nation would continue to inspire generations. PTI KIS AKY