Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today presented a resolution in the Vidhan Sabha to condole the death of late Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) head Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who passed away last week.

In what was his first speech in the 9th session of the 13th Vidhan Sabha, Mr. Rupani as the leader of the House placed the resolution on the floor.

The Chief Minister described Pramukh Swami He was a noble seer who spread Indian culture as messenger of peace around the world, as a source of inspiration for crores of followers across the world, who visited over 2.50 lakh households in 17,000 towns and villages during the last seven decades, who wrote seven lakh letters and converted gloom into hope.

Pramukh Swami built this Swaminarayan Sanstha from almost a scratch into a global organization of volunteers reaching out to the calamity-hit in any corner of the country and abroad, including the World Trade Centre in New York, Nepal and South Africa. He inspired 40 lakh to quit addiction, devoted his life in character building. The organization ran 24-hour kitchen for the quake-hit in Kutch for 45 days, reached out to the flood-hit during Machchu dam breach, Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, Uttarakhand, etc.

Born on December 7, 1921 at Chansad village in Padra taluka of Vadodara district, christened Shantilal, BAPS head guru Brahmaswarup Shastriji inducted him into the Order at Gondal at the age of 18 in 1939, named him Narayanswarupdas Swami in 1940, as Pramukh Swami in 1950 and the second guru Brahmaswarup Yogiji made him his disciple in
1971.

Pramukh Swami met many political and religious leaders of the world but he remained soft-spoken, humane and far-sighted, a symbol of patience, compassion, sensitivity and tolerance. Over 1,100 temples en built in India and abroad, a Guineas’ Book of World Record, including the world’s biggest Hindu temple in Delhi. His biggest moment was perhaps his appeal to his followers to maintain poise and peace after the attack on Swaminarayan temple in Gandhinagar.

Mr. Rupani read out the condolence messages sent by President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prince Charles of Britain, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Bahrain’s Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Guineas’ Editor Michael Whitty.

Mr. Rupani also presented resolutions condoling the deaths of Gujarat’s former minister Daulatbhai Parmar and Kasimuddin Tirmizi, former minister of state Raisinh Parmar, former deputy minister Indubhai Patel, former legislators Vishnubhai Patel, Bhimsibhai Karangiya and Bhurabhai Kadchha, who died during the intervening period since the last session of the Vidhan Sabha.

Others who spoke on the condolence messages included Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel, Leader of the Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma and MLAs in the treasury and opposition benches.

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