Veteran Hindu leader Acharya Swami Dharmendra, who made entry in politics with Ram Janam Bhoomi Andolan of Ayodhya along with top VHP leaders, passed away on Monday after a protracted illness at SMS Hospital in Jaipur.
Maharaj of Sri Panchkhand Peethadheeshwar in the Virat Nagar area on the Jaipur-Delhi highway, Dharmendra was about 80 years old, his son Somendra Sharma told SNS.
Known as an unique orator of Sanatan Dharma, a Ramanandi saint Dharmendra was involved in the Central Guiding Board of Vishwa Hindu Parishad. He was also the leader of the 1965 movement to stop cow slaughter, Acharya Maharaj’s whole was devoted to Hindi, Hindutva and Hindustan
During the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, he came up as one of the top leaders of VHP, BJP and RSS including L K Advani, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh, Ashok Singhal, Praveen Togadia, Giriraj Kishore, and Narendra Modi.
Dharmendra’s last rites would take place tomorrow at his Ashram at 10 am among his disciples and followers.
During the day, a number of BJP leaders including the BJP state President Satish Poonia put a wreath beside his body and expressed his condolence at Acharya’s residence here.