Haryana Governer, CM condole Nirmala Deshpande's death

Chandigarh, May 1 (UNI) Haryana Governor A R Kidwai and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda have expressed shock and grief over the death of Rajya Sabha MP Nirmala Deshpande who breathed her last this morning.

In a condolence message issued here today, the Governor described her as a true Gandhian, a great social worker and author of several books. She had received Padma Bhushan in 2006.

Mr Hooda said that in her death the nation had lost a true Gandhian. She had joined Acharya Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan movement in 1952 and undertaken ''padyatra'' of 40,000 km with Vinobaji.She had been working continuously to build bridges of understanding between different communities, he added.

Both Dr Kidwai and Mr Hooda prayed that the departed soul might rest in peace.

UNI MA BP RL AS1748