Congress MP Santokh Singh Choudhary dies during Bharat Jodo Yatra

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday suspended its Bharat Jodo Yatra, which was in Punjab, for a day as a mark of respect for party MP Santokh Singh Choudhary who died following a heart attack during the march. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi also postponed his scheduled press conference at Jalandhar on January 15, and it will now take place at Hoshiarpur on January 17.

Choudhary died on Saturday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. He was 76. The two-time MP was taking part in the Rahul Gandhi-led march in Phillaur in Jalandhar where he fainted, said senior party leader Partap Singh Bajwa, who was also marching with other yatris. Chaudhary was rushed to a hospital in Phagwara in an ambulance where he was declared brought dead.

"Bharat Jodo Yatra will be suspended for 24 hours as a mark of respect for Santokh Singh Choudhary, Congress MP from Jalandhar who passed away this morning. The Yatra will resume tomorrow afternoon from Khalsa College Ground, Jalandhar," AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.