Veteran social activist Nanaji Deshmukh passes away - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Renowned social activist and former Member of Parliament Nanaji Deshmukh died on Saturday evening in Uttar Pradesh's Chitrakoot district. He was 97. Deshmukh was suffering from age-related illness for a long time. Coming from the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sabgh background, Deshmukh was also associated with the Jan Sangh, Janta Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Deshmukh was born on October 11, 1916 at Kadoli, a small town in Parbhani District of Maharashtra and was actively participated in Bhoodan Movement started by Acharya Vinoba Bhave. When Jay Prakash Narayan gave the call for Total Revolution he responded by giving total support to this movement. Deshmukh was elected to the Lok Sabha from Balrampur parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh. In 1969, Deshmukh founded the Deendayal Research Institute to work in rural development sector. He also established Chitrakoot Gramodya Vishwavidyalaya in Chitrakoot- India's first rural university and went on to become it's first Chancellor. In 1999, Deshmukh was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, BJP president Nitin Gadkari, former minister Ram Naik, Opposition party leaders in the parliament Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley also mourned Deshmukh's sad demise.