Mahant Avaidyanath passes away

Lucknow, Sep 12 (IANS) Mahant Avaidyanath, the ailing ‘peetahdheesh’ (chief priest) of the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur and father of present Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath, passed away late Friday following prolonged illness. He was 92.

Avaidhyanath was ailing for more than two months and had been admitted to Medanta hospital in Gurgaon for two months. He was flown in an air ambulance on Friday evening to Gorakhpur after doctors attending on him gave up hope of his survival.

The seer was at the forefront of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the 1990s and was Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Gorakhpur four times.

His body is being taken to the Gorakhnath temple where thousands of his followers are likely to converge to pay their last respects.

State BJP president Laxmikant Bajpayi has condoled the death of Avaidyanath.