Former Rajasthan minister Bharat Singh Kundanpur cremated at native village in Kota

Kota (Rajasthan) Oct 7 (PTI) Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan minister Bharat Singh Kundanpur, who passed away on Monday, was cremated at his native place in Kota district. He was 75.

Kundanpur was suffering from a respiratory illness. He was first admitted to a hospital in Kota and later shifted to the SMS Hospital in Jaipur, where he breathed his last on Monday night.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, state energy minister Heeralal Nagar and MLA Harimohan Sharma were among the high-profile dignitaries who attended the funeral at Kundanpur village in Sangod tehsil on Tuesday afternoon. A huge crowd of party workers and his supporters were also present for the cremation.

A four-time MLA, Kundanpur was known for his outspoken nature. He often grabbed headlines for speaking out against his own party's government.

During Ashok Gehlot's third tenure as chief minister from 2018-2023, he had publicly accused minister Pramod Jain Bhaya of corruption and irregularities in mining activities, even going so far as to shave his head in protest. He had written multiple letters to the then chief minister against the alleged corruption.

Gehlot and other leaders condoled the death of Kundanpur.

"Bharat Singh Kundanpur was a fearless and honest leader who set an example in politics and public service. He was a tall leader of the Hadoti region. I have had close relations with his family since the time of his father," Gehlot told reporters.

  Mayo-schooled, Bharat Singh had a gold medal in fine arts from Baroda University in Gujarat. Besides holding a cabinet position in the Gehlot government, he had also been sarpanch and pradhan.

Singh was perhaps the only member of the 15th Rajasthan legislative assembly to have written a letter almost every day to someone in the Centre or the state, including the chief minister, voicing concerns over corruption, illegal mining, wildlife and environment. PTI COR AMJ AMJ