Senior  journalist, ex-legislator, RSS ideologue and its first spokesperson Madhav Govind  Vaidya passed away in a private hospital here on Saturday, according to official sources.

Vaidya, 97, is survived by his wife Sunanda and eight children. His children include three daughters Vibhavari G. Naik, Pratibha U. Rajhans, Bharti J. Kahu and five sons Dhananjay, Manmohan, Srinivasa, Shashibhushan and Ram.

One son, Dr. Manmohan is a senior RSS head and another is the co-convenor of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh.

Vaidya, a former Member of Maharashtra Legislative Council, had recently recovered from a Covid-19  infection, but was active and alert till the end.

However, his health suddenly deteriorated on Friday and he  was rushed to the Spandan Hospital where breathed his last around 3.30 pm this afternoon, a senior RSS worker  close to the family told IANS.

His last rites shall be performed at his home in Pratapnagar and the cremation shall be held at Ambazari Ghat in Nagpur on Sunday morning at 9.30 am.

Tributes poured in for Vaidya from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bharatiya Janata Party and other Hindu organisations and parties as news of his demise spread.