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RSS veteran Madan Das Devi cremated in Pune; Bhagwat, Amit Shah in attendance
Veteran RSS functionary Madan Das Devi was cremated in Pune with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and several Sangh activists in attendance. Devi, who had served as the joint secretary of the RSS, died in Bengaluru at the age of 81.
Veteran RSS functionary Madan Das Devi was cremated on Tuesday in Pune city with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and several Sangh activists in attendance. Devi, who had served as the joint secretary of the RSS, died in Bengaluru on Monday morning at the age of 81.
His mortal remains were kept for ‘darshan’ at the Motibaug office of the RSS in Pune city.
Besides Shah and Bhagwat, Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar also paid tributes at the Motibaug office.
Devi’s last rites were performed at Vaikunth crematorium’s electric facility. Shah, Bhagwat, Nadda, Fadnavis and several members of RSS were present at the crematorium.
As per previous plan, only Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Pune district guardian minister Chandrakant Patil had planned to visit city. Later Chief Minister Shinde decided to visit the city and offer tributes to Devi. Ajit Pawar’s tour was also planned last moment and he visited RSS office in Pune Motibaug to pay tributes.
While addressing a gathering at the crematorium, Nadda said Devi remained connected with activists despite the unavailability of communication resources in the past. “He ensured that the ideology is taken forward,” Nadda said.
Bhagwat, in his condolence message, said Devi not only worked for Sangh but also connected people.
Devi, who was born in Karmala tehsil of Solapur in Maharashtra, was instrumental in developing leadership skills among top-rung leaders of BJP and RSS. Devi completed MCom and LLB from Pune. A full-time Pracharak (campaigner), Devi had stayed in Bengaluru for the treatment of his old age-related ailment.
He died at Rashtrotthan Hospital in the Karnakata capital on Monday after a prolonged illness, an RSS functionary earlier said.
Devi had served as the RSS joint general secretary and organisation secretary of the RSS’ student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
