Freedom fighter Jaswant Mehta cremated at native place

Bhavnagar, June 29 (UNI) Former Finance Minister of Gujarat and a veteran Congress leader Jaswant Mehta, who died at Surat yesterday, was cremated today at his home town Mahuva, about 100 km from here, amid incessant rains.

The taluka town observed 'bandh' as a homage to its son of the soil. A condolence meeting has been arranged for tomorrow.

Born in 1922, Mr Mehta had taken part in India's freedom struggle particularly in the merger of Junagadh princely state with India.

Mr Mehta belonged to Praja Socialist Party (PSP) and had risen to Mahatma Gandhi's call for Quit India Movement and later Jay Prakash Narain's Total Revolution.

However, he is being remembered as a youth turk, who marched into the eastwhile princely state of Junagadh after August 15, 1947 under the leadership of Shyamaldas Gandhi as the then Junagadh Nawab had flown to Pakistan.

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