MUMBAI: Former Kerala Governor R S Gavai died on Saturday afternoon in Nagpur after a prolonged illness. He was 86.
He will be cremated at his hometown of Daryapur in Amravati on Sunday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the deceased leader will be given a state funeral.
Gavai is survived by wife Kamal and two sons--the elder one, Bhushan is a Judge with Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, while the younger son heads Gavai faction of the Republican Party of India (RPI).
The veteran leader had been undergoing treatment for kidney infection at a private hospital, when the end came. Gavai was chairman of Babasaheb Ambedkar Smarak Samiti, which manages historic Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur where Ambedkar had embraced Buddhism in 1956. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Amravati and was Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council.
He is survived by wife Kamal and two sons. His elder son Bhushan is a Justice with Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court. The younger son is his political heir.