Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary dies during Bharat Jodo Yatra

He was 76 years old.

| Updated: 14 January, 2023 10:41 am IST
Jalandhar Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary walking along Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra this morning.

Congress lawmaker from Jalandhar, Santokh Singh Chaudhary died of a heart attack during the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Philluar, Punjab on Saturday morning.

The 76-year-old leader was taken to a hospital in an ambulance from the yatra but could not be saved. Rahul Gandhi along with several other party leaders rushed to the hospital.

The news of his death was shared by Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann who wrote on Twitter, “I am deeply saddened by the death of Congress MP from Jalandhar Santokh Singh Chaudhary. May God rest his soul in peace.”

Condoling his demise, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the untimely passing away of our MP, Santokh Singh Chaudhary. His loss is a great blow to the party and organisation. In this hour of grief, my heart goes out to his family, friends and followers.”

“There will be some changes in the schedule of the yatra,” announced Congress general secretary and MP Jairam Ramesh.

Extending condolences to Chaudhary’s family, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, “In his long public life, he was always vocal on issues of public interest. Discipline in the House was the speciality of his personality. May God give peace to the departed soul.”

The countrywide yatra, which entered Punjab on January 10, has been halted following the MP’s demise. It resumed from Punjab’s Ladowal after a break of two days this morning.

Chaudhary’s son Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary is an MLA from the Phillaur assembly seat.

The yatra is set to enter Himachal Pradesh on January 19 for a day before entering Jammu and Kashmir on January 20 for the final leg of the journey.

The foot march began from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and reached Punjab through Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.

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