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Rajmata dead
Tribune News Service and agencies

NEW DELHI, Jan 25 — Senior BJP leader Vijayaraje Scindia, also called Rajmata, who was battling for life in a hospital here, died in the early hours today.

The 82-year-old leader, suffering from meningitis, was on life support system for the past few days. Her family was at her bedside when the end came at 3.20 a.m. at the Apollo Hospital, where she was admitted on January 2.

Her body is being taken to Gwalior, where it will be cremated on January 27. Mrs Scindia’s condition had worsened yesterday and her vital organs, including kidneys and liver, failed.

Mrs Scindia is survived by three daughters — Union Minister Vasundhra Raje, Usha and Yashodra — and a son, senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia.

A deeply religious woman, Mrs Scindia was born on October 12, 1919, at Sagar in Madhya Pradesh. She pursued a Hindutva agenda for most of her public life even as it led to differences from her only son Madhavrao. She first entered the Lok Sabha in 1957 and represented Guna Lok Sabha constituency for a record six times.

The President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, BJP President and other eminent leaders of various political parties have mourned the death of the BJP leader.

Paying homage to the departed soul, the President K.R. Narayanan said the Rajmata was a venerable leader who responded magnificently to the demands of changing times.

Vice-President Krishan Kant described her as a staunch nationalist, a distinguished parliamentarian, a dedicated social worker and a practitioner of value-based politics. He said that there was a deep spiritual side to her personality and a certain dignity that earned her the respect of those who knew her.

After visiting Scindia Nivas, where her body was brought after embalming, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said that for someone who enjoyed all comforts of royalty, the veteran leader showed exemplary conviction in espousing the nation’s and peoples’ causes.

Home Minister L.K. Advani was the first to reach the hospital after hearing the news of her demise.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today went to the Scindia Villa here and paid tributes to the Rajmata.

She conveyed her condolences to the bereaved family including Madhavrao Scindia.

Mrs Gandhi instructed former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Motilal Vohra and Ahmad Patel to be present at the funeral of the departed leader at Gwalior on January 27.