Ayodhya, Dec. 16 -- A key figure in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and two-term former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti died in a hospital in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday. He was 67. His last rites will be performed on Tuesday morning with Jal Samadhi (immersion) in the Saryu river, his disciple Mahant Raghavesh Das said. The news of Vedanti's death sent a wave of grief across Ayodhya, among the entire seer community and in BJP circles. Vedanti's health suddenly deteriorated on Wednesday when he was on a visit to Rewa to conduct a religious discourse, according to information received here. He was immediately admitted to hospital and passed away during the course of treatment on Monday. Vedanti was the executive president of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and had been elected to the Lok Sabha from Machhalishahr and Pratapgarh constituencies in 1996 and 1998. He was also among the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case. In 2020, he was among all the 32 accused who were acquitted by a special CBI court. The other accused acquitted in the case included senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has condoled the demise of Vedanti. In a post on X, the chief minister said, "The passing away of Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti Ji Maharaj, a prominent figure in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi movement, former Member of Parliament, and revered saint of Vashishtha Ashram in Ayodhya Dham, is an irreparable loss to the spiritual world and Sanatan Dharma. Our humble tributes to him!" "His departure marks the end of an era. His life, dedicated to the service of religion, society, and the nation, is an inspiration to us all," Adityanath said. "We pray to Lord Ram to grant the departed soul a place at His divine feet and to give strength to his grieving disciples and followers to bear this immense sorrow. Om Shanti!" he said on X. Vedanti was admitted to Superspecialty Hospital affiliated with Shyam Shah Medical College in Rewa. "When he was admitted, he had blood poisoning (septicemia) infection, which had spread significantly. His blood pressure had dropped significantly and his kidneys had also stopped functioning. Vedanti suffered a heart attack on Sunday night. He was placed on ventilator support. He passed away this morning," Superspecialty Hospital superintendent Akshay Srivastava said. "Vedanti suffered a heart attack on Sunday night, following which he was on a ventilator. He passed away this morning," Srivastava said. After the heart attack, an attempt was made to transport him to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal, by an air ambulance. However, the dense fog scuppered the plan, Srivastava added. Ayodhya mayor Girish Pati Tripathi said, "When Ram Vilas Vedanti's health deteriorated, an air ambulance reached Rewa, but couldn't land there due to fog. He passed away shortly afterwards." Vedanti, who lived at Hindu Dham, Naya Ghat, in Ayodhya, also had an ashram called Vashishth Bhavan. He was born on October 7, 1958, according to the Sansad website. Vedanti's body was being brought to Ayodhya on Monday, Mahant Raghavesh Das, said. Ram Vilas Vedanti was a disciple of Mahant Abhiram Das of Hanumangarhi, who was said to be the key person in placing the idols of Ram Lalla in Babri Masjid in 1949. In April 2017, Vedanti had caused a flutter with his statement it was he, and not BJP patriarch Lal Krishna Advani, who incited the kar sevaks to pull down the Babri Masjid structure on December 6, 1992.In 2020, Vedanti, along with Advani, was among all the 32 accused acquitted in the case.with agency inputs...