Ram Dhan dead

NEW DELHI, MAY 23. Mr. Ram Dhan, who formed the `young Turk' group in the Congress and was arrested during the 1975 Emergency, died here today at the age of 80 after a brief illness.

A former general secretary of the Congress, Mr. Ram Dhan was part of the socialist `ginger group' raising inconvenient issues. Along with the former Prime Minister, Mr. Chandra Shekhar, the Vice-President, Mr. Krishan Kant, and Mohan Dharia, Mr. Ram Dhan was arrested on the night when Emergency was declared by Indira Gandhi. Mr. Ram Dhan, who was Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission Chairperson between 1991 and 1996, made his parliamentary debut in 1967 from Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh and was subsequently elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971, 1977, 1984 and 1989.

The Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee and the Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, and many leaders visited Mr. Ram Dhan's residence to pay homage. Mr. Chandra Shekhar said he had lost a life-long associate.

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