New Delhi, September 11: Renowned Indian activist Swami Agnivesh breathed his last on Friday, a day after his health condition had deteriorated. The 80-year-old died at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) Hospital where he was admitted to after suffering from multi-organ failure. Activist Swami Agnivesh Demands SIT Probe Over Assault.

Agnivesh, a member of the Arya Samaj, was active in public life for the last five decades. He was elected as a Member of Assembly from Haryana in 1970, on the ticket of Arya Sabha -- the political party he founded based on the teachings of Arya Samaj.

Although Agnivesh went on to become the Education Minister in Haryana, he is best known for his post-politics activism. From 1981, he began a relentless campaign against bonded labour. As part of his campaign, he had also testified before the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, in 1987.

Agnivesh has also played a role in the rescue of five Chhattisgarh policemen who were abducted by Maoist militants in February 2011. In that same year, he emerged at the forefront of the anti-corruption movement launched against the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.

The saffron-clad leader also enjoyed support from Muslim groups. He was invited as a guest at several events aimed at promoting religious harmony. Agnivesh, in one of his address at a Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind event, had reiterated that communal harmony is one of the bedrocks of India and the attempt to portray Muslims as terrorists should be effectively countered.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2020 08:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).