The last rites of Samajwadi Party (SP) veteran and eight-time MLA Vijay Singh Gond was performed as per the Gond traditions near his ancestral home in Katauli village in Sonbhadra’s Duddhi area on Friday.
State minister Sanjeev Kumar Gond, leaders from the Samajwadi Party, the BJP, and other parties, were present.
Vijay Singh Gond, an eight-time MLA from Duddhi, passed away at a Lucknow hospital on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 71. Around 9:15pm, his mortal remains reached Robertsganj. At the Samajwadi Party district office at Churk Mod, party leaders and workers paid tribute to him. The remains were then taken to Katauli. Since the morning, a large number of people gathered there to pay their last respects to Gond.
Vice-chairman of the SC-ST Commission Jeet Singh Kharwar, district magistrate Badrinath Singh, superintendent of police Abhishek Verma, sub-divisional magistrate Nikhil Yadav and CO Rajesh Rai were also among them. After the guard of honor, the remains were then buried.
Known for raising issues concerning tribal rights and welfare, he was regarded as a grassroots leader.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and several senior leaders have condoled Gond’s death, terming it an irreparable loss to the region and the community.
