Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, 76, who died of heart attack on Saturday while taking part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra was among the senior leaders who gave Rahul Gandhi a rousing welcome as he entered Jalandhar district in the morning.
Amid loud slogans of Bharat Jodo hailing Gandhi, Chaudhary – the MP from Jalandhar – gave a speech for around four minutes and then walked with Gandhi for a couple of kilometres before rushing to the next point in a vehicle, said a Congress worker present at the spot.
While Chaudhary’s son Vikramjit Singh walked alongside Gandhi, Chaudhary hurried to the next spot where he had assembled people of all faiths to greet Gandhi. The Congress worker said that Chaudhary went ahead to ensure that everything was in order.
Around 8.30 am, the yatra reached the leprosy ashram at Phillaur, where Chaudhary had reportedly planned a meeting between Gandhi and the people of the ashram. He was walking at a short distance from Gandhi. He asked about the well-being of Tamil Nadu MP Jyothimani, who has been with the yatra since the beginning, and suddenly collapsed. Some eyewitnesses said that he fell because of the rush.
“I was walking ahead and from behind Vijayinder Singla (former Congress minister) called me that uncle (my father) has fallen down and then I rushed to him (my father). An ambulance was called and we rushed him to the hospital in Phagwara. Papa was breathing on the way with the pumping system,” Vikramjit Singh said, adding that it took them around 20 minutes to reach the hospital in Phagwara. He expressed his apprehensions that the ambulance might not be up to date.
Dr Raman Sharma, civil surgeon Jalandhar, while speaking to The Indian Express said that at 8.30 am when MP Chaudhary collapsed, the ambulance was at the spot and it reached in no time and a team of specialist doctors shifted him into the ambulance. The ambulance reached the hospital within 13 minutes and on the way emergency shock was given to him, besides an injection.
He said that this ambulance is well-equipped with all the life-saving gadgets and it was used for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit also after it was okayed by the Special Protection Group (SPG). This ambulance is checked every week and it had no shortcomings, the civil surgeon added.
After reaching the hospital, doctors gave Chaudhary another injection in the heart and tried to revive him for half-an-hour but in vain. At 9.15 am Chaudhary was declared dead.
“It’s a big tragedy for us as the MP sahib used to take our meetings. He was a very positive person and always encouraged us,” said Dr Sharma.
“Gandhi immediately sent Punjab Congress president and leader of Opposition, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Partap Singh Bajwa, respectively, to the hospital,” said a party leader.
While the yatra continued for a while, it was halted around 9.15 am when the news of the MP’s demise reached Gandhi. Gandhi visited Chaudhary’s Jalandhar residence where his body was kept. His cremation will take place on Sunday at 11 am in his native village Dhaliwal.
Vikramjit Singh said that his father made tea for himself this morning (Saturday). “When I reached at 2 in the night, he said that he has to leave at 5 in the morning, so there is no point in sleeping now. He told me that some religious personalities have to be introduced to Rahul Gandhi ji. He said that they do not have a vehicle, after which I arranged for the vehicle,” said Vikramjit Singh.
Family sources said that the MP was working tirelessly for the past several days to make Bharat Jodo Yatra a big success on his home turf. Last night also he did not sleep due to excitement for the yatra.
Some heart specialists said that he might have suffered a sudden heart attack due to overwork, inadequate sleep and age factor.
Gandhi was to walk from Ladowal to Phagwara with a couple of breaks, but the yatra was halted on Saturday due to the untimely demise.
Incidentally, Phillaur comes under the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, while the Phillaur Assembly seat is represented by Chaudhary’s son Vikramjit Singh. The Chaudhary family residence is also in Phillaur.
Party workers said that they were highly excited about the yatra and had been making arrangements for several days. MP Chaudhary had worked tirelessly finalising the arrangements, they added.
Senior Congress leader, former minister, MP and sitting MLA from Kapurthala, Rana Gurjit Singh, who was accompanying Gandhi, said that everything happened in front of him. “It’s an irreparable loss to the party. MP Chaudhary belongs to a family of political stalwarts as his father had contested in 1927 even before India gained Independence. He passed away in his constituency, close to his residence and in front of the ‘senior-most’ national leader,” Rana Gurjit Singh said.
Punjab Congress president Warring said that Chaudhary was completely fine in the morning. He was raising slogans on the stage.
The yatra was suspended for 24 hours and will be resumed on Sunday afternoon from Jalandhar without raising any slogans and playing any songs.
Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary passed away during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab. (Photos via ANI, the MP's Facebook page) 
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