Veteran Congress leader Girija Vyas passes away

Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Girija Vyas, who had sustained burn injuries during a Gangaur puja ritual at her residence in Udaipur, died at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Thursday. She was 79.

Ms. Vyas — a three-time former MP and two-time former MLA from Udaipur — sustained 90% burn injuries after her ‘dupatta’ (long scarf) caught fire during the puja ceremony on March 31. She was rushed to a private hospital in the city, from where she was later referred to Ahmedabad.

The Congress leader succumbed to burn injuries during the treatment at Zydus Multispeciality Hospital in Ahmedabad on Thursday evening. The family sources said her body was being brought to Udaipur, where the funeral would be conducted on Friday.