Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday consoled the demise of social activist Swami Agnivesh saying all his life he fought with great courage and conviction for the most marginalised sections of society.

In a statement, Sonia Gandhi said, "I am grieved to learn the passing way of Swami Agnivesh. All his life he fought with great courage and conviction for the most marginalised sections of our society, fearless in defending their rights and in facing upto those who exploited and oppressed them and terrorised the poor, often at great personal risk."

The Congress leader said that Swami Agnivesh was a "most powerful" and "effective" voice for the vulnerable and the defenceless.

Swami Agnivesh's energy and faith in constructive social activism was indeed admirable and inspiring, she said.

Recalling the works of Swami Agnivesh, Sonia Gandhi said, "He worked with equal dynamism to promote interfaith, understanding and dialouge, non-violence, and justice for the tribal people of Chhattisgarh, caught in a violent conflict. He will be widely mourned and India will honour the memory of this brave and noble soul."

Swami Agnivesh died after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences on Friday evening. The hospital attempted to revive him for 30 minutes before declaring Agnivesh dead at 6.30 p.m.

The social activist was admitted at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Delhi on Tuesday. He was critically ill and suffered from liver cirrhosis and had been on ventilator support since Tuesday owing to multi-organ failure. His condition deteriorated on Friday.

Body of Swami Agnivesh will be kept at the Bandhua Mukti Morcha (BMM) office on Saturday to allow the public to pay their final respects, albeit adhering to Covid rules, said Professor Vithal Rao Arya, his close associate and former general secretary of Bandhua Mukti Morcha.