New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Monday condoled the demise of BJP leader Kameshwar Chaupal and said he remained associated with the work of the Ram temple in Ayodhya due to his religious dedication and commitment.

Kameshwar Chaupal, also a VHP functionary who laid the first brick for the Ram temple's construction in Ayodhya during a 1989 ceremony, died recently after a prolonged illness. He breathed his last at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi.

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Chaupal, a member of the Ram temple trust, had been suffering from kidney ailment for a long time.

Condoling his demise, Hosabale in a statement said, “The passing of Shri Kameshwar Chaupal ji, who laid the first brick of the Ram Mandir at the Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya, is extremely sad for all devotees of Ram.”

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“Due to his religious dedication and commitment, he remained associated with the work of the Ram Mandir until the end. We pay our respects in his memory and pray to God to grant his soul eternal peace,” the senior RSS functionary said.

Hosabale, who was on a two-day visit to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, also took a holy bath at Triveni Sangam on Monday.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)