Nagpur: K.S. Sudarshan, Kuppalli Sitaramayya Sudarshan, former chief of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), died of a heart attack in Raipur in Chhattisgarh early Saturday, an official said here. He was 81.
He is survived by a brother.
Sudarshan had been ailing for sometime and was under the care of an attendant.
According to Vikas Telang, an official of RSS headquarters, Sudarshan had gone for his usual morning walk Saturday and later returned to the RSS headquarters in Raipur.
Some RSS volunteers noticed that Sudarshan had fallen down while meditating in his room, said Telang.
Believing him to be asleep, they shook him but he was motionless. Later, a medico was summoned who confirmed Sudarshan dead.
His body shall be brought to the RSS national headquarters in Nagpur Saturday evening and kept in its Reshim Baug premises, said Telang.
The last rites will be conducted in Nagpur Sunday afternoon, he added.
Sudarshan led the RSS between 2000-2009, before seeking voluntary retirement due to health problem.
Sudarshan, who led the right-wing Hindu organization from 2000-2009, had arrived in the city on Thursday from Jabalpur and was staying at the local RSS office, Jagriti Mandal, Pandri. According local RSS workers, the former sarsanghchalak had come here to release the book of Chattisgarh Rajya Sabha MP, Gopal Vyas. The book release function was held on Friday evening.
A RSS worker who was present at Jagriti Bhawan this morning said Sudharshan apparently suffered a "massive heart attack" and died within few minutes. "He complained about chest pain at about 6am and we immediately called a cardiologist. However, the doctor, who came at about 6.30am, pronounced him dead", he said. Sudarshan was reportedly a heart patient and had undergone a bypass a decade ago.
The RSS chief was slated to leave for Nagpur on Sunday morning. RSS sources said that his body would be taken to Nagpur on Saturday afternoon at about 2pm and will be kept at the party's headquarters for people to pay their last respects.
Though Sudarshan had been staying with his family in Mysore for quite some time, he was born in this very city on June 18, 1931 in a Sanketi Brahmin family. He did his Bachelor of Engineering in Telecommunications (honours) from Sagar University.
He joined RRS Shakha at a young age of nine years and became a prachark in 1954. He went on to become the prant pracharak of Madhya Bharat in 1964. He also the headed the RSS think tank, Boudhik Cell, and in 1990 he became the joint general secretary of the organisation and later he became the Sarsanghchalak.
