Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh
Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh.

Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh has passed away on Friday, September 11, at around 6:55 pm. He breathed his last at the Institute of Liver and Billary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi.

Swami Agnivesh was hospitalised due to liver cirrhosis at the ILBS earlier. He was reportedly in a critical condition after suffering multi-organ failure during the treatment, the hospital authorities said.

The 80-year-old leader, who was an ex-MLA from Haryana, founded a political party named Arya Sabha, which was based on the principles of the Arya Samaj in 1970. He was also an advocate for dialogue between religions.

Swami Agnivesh, a well-known and brave human right defender was involved in various areas of social activism including campaigns against female foeticide and the emancipation of women. He was a prominent associate of Anna Hazare during India Against Corruption's campaign in 2011 to implement the Jan Lokpal Bill.