Veteran Samajwadi Party leader Vinod Barthwal passes away

Dehradun, April 12: Senior Samajwadi Party leader of Uttarakhand, Vinod Barthwal passed away in the wee hours today at a Gurgaon hospital. He was 59.

The former president of SP's Uttarakhand unit breathed his last at around 3.30 this morning, family sources here said.

Barthwal was suffering from kidney related problems and had been referred to Gurgaon's Medanta Hospital nearly a week ago by doctors at Jollygrant Hospital, they said.

Barthwal is survived by his wife and two sons. His body is being brought to Haridwar where the last rites will take place, they said.

Condoling his sudden demise, Pradesh Congress president Kishore Upadhyay said it as an irreparable loss for not just his family but the whole state.

He said Barthwal was a symbol of communal harmony and the void he has left, can never be filled. Barthwal had been appointed the chairperson of the Uttarakhand Re-organisation Coordination Committee by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav last year.

PTI