Former HP minister Chaudhary Vidyasagar dies

Former Himachal Pradesh minister and senior BJP leader Chaudhary Vidyasagar passed away at the age of 84 in Kangra near Dharamshala, a family member said. Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur have expressed grief over the demise of the senior leader who passed away at his native place in Jamanabad area near Kangra on Thursday night.

He was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments for a few days. An OBC leader in the region, Vidyasagar was a four-time MLA from Kangra assembly constituency and worked as a minister in the state governments led by Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Dhumal and Shanta Kumar have also deeply mourned his death. In his condolence, Governor Devvrat said, Vidyasagar was an un-parallel leader who devoted his life for the sake of people especially downtrodden. His service to the people of the state will not be forgotten.

In a separate condolence message to the bereaved family members, the CM said, Vidyasagar was a mass leader whose contribution towards upliftment of poor was immense.