Ahmedabad/New Delhi

Member of Parliament(MP) in Rajya Sabha elected from Gujarat Shri Pravin Rashtrapal passed away today due to heart attack. With his sudden death, Congress has lost its Dalit face in Gujarat. Rashtrapal retired from Income Tax department job and joined politics. He won Lok Sabha election in Patan in 1999.

Born on 24 December 1939 in Muwada in district gandhinagar of Gujarat, son of Somabhai and Valiben Pravin Rashtral is survived by one son and three daughters.

Rashtrapal, a B.A., LL.B educated at Siddharth college in Mumbai. He was into civil service and trade union activity during his professional career.

He was Income Tax Inspector during 1969-1979; Income Tax Officer during 1980-1993; Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax during 1994-1997. He was associated with trade union movement of Income Tax employees in particular and the Central Government employees in general.

He was member of 13th Lok Sabha during October 1999 – February 2004 period. He was elected to Rajya Sabha in April 2006.

Books written by him published are The Betrayal, 2003; in Gujarati, (i) Worshiping False God (A Review), 2003, (ii) Socialism, Binsampraday and Samanta, 2003, (iii) Sadak Thi Sansad, 2004 and (iv) NISBAT-Collection of articles.

Rashtrapal was founder Member, (i) Council for Social Justice and (ii) Foundation for Dalit literature; Member, (i) People’s Union of Civil Liberties (P.U.C.L.) and (ii) Indian Institute of Public Administration (I.I.P.A.); interested in securing human rights to Dalits and justice to the poor and women; addressing gatherings on social issues.

Rashtrapal was founder Member of (i) Council for Social Justice and (ii) Foundation for Dalit literature; Member, (i) People’s Union of Civil Liberties (P.U.C.L.) and (ii) Indian Institute of Public Administration (I.I.P.A.).

His core area of interest was human rights to Dalits and justice to the poor and women.

Paying him tribute, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said on twitter: Pained by the demise of Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Shri Praveen Rashtrapal. My thoughts are with his family in this hour of grief. As a trade unionist and subsequently as a leader, Shri Rashtrapal remained sensitive to concerns and aspirations of the poor and marginalized.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned today for the day because of demise of Rashtrapal.

In Delhi, Congress MPs from Gujarat Ahmed Patel, Madhusudan Mistry and Congress leader Rajubhai Parmar rushed to Rashtrapal’s place.

– DeshGujarat

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