Congress MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh dies of heart attack during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab's Phillaur

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, January 14

Congress MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh on Saturday died of heart attack during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab’s Phillaur. He was 76.

The two-time MP collapsed during the rush in the yatra and was taken to Virk hospital in Phagwara in an ambulance.

Congress leaders Rana Gurjeet Singh and Vijay Inder Singla confirmed his demise.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann tweeted: “I am deeply saddened by the untimely death of Congress Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, Santokh Singh Chowdhury.. May God rest his soul in peace.”

The yatra has been stopped and Rahul Gandhi has gone to the hospital. Singh was a former Punjab minister and a sitting MP from Jalandhar. Cremation of MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh would take place tomorrow at 10.30 am at his native Gakhlan Dhaliwal village in Jalandhar.

Earlier, Gandhi-led yatra resumed from Ladhowal here on Saturday morning.

The foot march took a break on Friday for Lohri.

The Punjab leg of the march had begun on Wednesday from Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib.

During the yatra, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Partap Bajwa, Charanjit Channi, Mansih Tewari, Gurjeet Aujla, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Vijay Inder Singla accompanied Gandhi.

Braving cold, people joined the march.