Ram Temple movement leader and former BJP MP Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti dies at 67
PTC Web Desk: Ayodhya-based saint and senior Ram Temple movement leader Dr Ram Vilas Das Vedanti passed away on Monday in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. He was 67. Vedanti breathed his last at around 12.20 pm while undergoing treatment at a super specialty hospital, where he had been admitted after his health deteriorated during a Ram Katha programme.
According to doctors, Vedanti had been undergoing treatment for the past two days. His condition worsened on Monday morning, following which preparations were made to airlift him to AIIMS Bhopal. An air ambulance reached Rewa, but could not land due to dense fog. Despite medical efforts, he could not be saved.
Doctors said Vedanti was suffering from septicemia, commonly known as blood poisoning, a serious condition in which infection spreads into the bloodstream and triggers an excessive immune response. The infection had reportedly affected vital organs, including the kidneys, lungs and liver.
Vedanti’s successor, Mahant Raghavesh Das Vedanti, said the mortal remains are being taken to Ayodhya. The final procession will begin from Hindu Dham in Ayodhya on Tuesday morning and proceed to the Ram Temple. He will be given jal samadhi at the Sarayu riverbank at 10 am. Saints from across the country are expected to attend the last rites.
Born on October 7, 1958, at Gudhawa village of Rewa district, Dr Vedanti came to Ayodhya at the age of 12 and spent most of his life there. He was closely associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and remained a prominent religious and political voice during the agitation.
Vedanti also had an active political career and was elected to the Lok Sabha twice on a BJP ticket: first in 1996 from Machhlishahr in Uttar Pradesh and again in 1998 from Pratapgarh.
He was among the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case. In 2020, a special CBI court acquitted him, observing that there was no evidence of a conspiracy behind the demolition.
- With inputs from agencies
