BJP leader who laid first brick of Ram Temple dies

BJP leader and VHP functionary Kameshwar Chaupal, who laid the first brick for the Ayodhya Ram temple’s construction during a 1989 ceremony, has died after prolonged illness.

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He breathed his last at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, according to information provided by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra’s media centre.

Expressing deep sorrow at Chaupal’s passing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as an “abiding devotee of Lord Ram”.

He made a valuable contribution to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Modi said. Chaupal will also be remembered for his work for the deprived sections of society, he said, noting that the BJP leader hailed from the Dalit community.

A member of the Ram temple trust, Chaupal had been suffering from kidney ailment for a long time.

Hailing from Patna, the VHP leader laid the first brick during the inaugural foundation stone-laying ceremony for the temple in November 1989, the trust said.