Rajasthan leaders pay tributes to Madan Lal Saini

Jaipur, June 25 (IANS) Several senior leaders, including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Tuesday paid tributes to Rajasthan BJP Chief Madan Lal Saini at the party's state headquarters here.

Saini, who was admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi last week due to lung infection, died on Monday. He was 75.

His body was brought to Jaipur on Monday night and kept at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state office from 7.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday for people to offer their homage to the departed leader.

He was cremated at his native village in Sikar. A large number of people attended the funeral procession, which started for his village from the party office here at 10 a.m.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, BJP MLA Satish Punia, Congress state ministers Raghu Sharma, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas were among those who participated in the procession.

Speaking on the occasion, Gehlot said: "Sainiji was a grassroots worker who will be remembered for his simplicity. When I came to know about his ill health, I spoke to him on telephone. No one could have thought that he would leave us all in the next two days. His sudden demise has left us all shocked."

Remembering Saini, Punia said that he became the voice of labourers in Rajasthan in the 1970s-80s as an RSS volunteer and member of the Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh.

"He served the people as MLA from Udaipurwati. He will be remembered for his faithfulness, hard work and dedication," he said.