Vajpayee, Advani condole J P Mathur's death

New Delhi, Oct 20 (UNI) Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani today condoled the demise of senior party leader and former Rajya Sabha MP J P Mathur, who died this morning after a protracted battle with cancer.

Mr Vajpayee, in his condolence message, said the BJP had lost one of the strong pillars and a model party worker right from the Jan Sangh days.

Mathur was one of the prominent leaders who had taken the party's message to the people. The courageous leader showed how to not bow to the disease of cancer, he said.

In his message, Mr Advani said Mathur was a dedicated party worker right from the initial days of the Jan Sangh and the BJP till his last breath. He was one of those who worked selflessly for the party right from the party elders ranging from Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other leaders. The loss suffered by the party in his death was immeasurable.

BJP President Rajnath Singh was also among those who condoled the death of Mathur. In his message, he said the BJP had lost a guiding force in Mathur's death. He was a front ranking senior leader and even cancer could not put down his spirits.

Earlier in the day, Mathur's body was kept in the BJP headquarters before being taken to the Lodhi Garden crematorium where hundreds of party leaders, including former Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Mr Advani, Mr Singh, Arun Jaitley, former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana paid their last respects.

UNI