IFFCO Managing Director Dr U S Awasthi paid tributes to Vitthal Radadiya- IFFCO’s former Vice-Chairman and former MP from Porbandar in Gujarat. He died at his residence in Ahmedabad on Monday morning. He was 61 and had been unwell for the last one year.
Reacting to the news IFFCO MD Dr U S Awasthi said, “I am shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the demise of our beloved veteran cooperative leader Shri Vitthalbhai Radadiya Ji. Shri Radadiya was not only an eminent co-operator but also an astute politician and an ardent advocate of farmers’ welfare”.
“With his demise IFFCO has not only lost its ex Vice-Chairman but also one of its biggest well-wishers. It’s a big loss to society and the cooperative sector. I pray to god to bestow peace on the departed soul and give you and your family strength to bear this irreparable loss”, Awasthi wrote.
Later Awasthi tweeted that, “Deeply saddened on the demise of veteran #cooperative leader Sh. Vithal Bhai Radadiya, former Vice-Chairman, Director of #IFFCO. An ex-MP from #Porbandar. Huge loss to the #cooperative world & society too. My deepest condolences to his family & friends. @ijayeshradadiya”.
Nafscob Chairman Dileep Sanghani also paid tributes to the departed soul. He wrote, “Saddened to hear about the demise of my old and good friend Vithalbhai Radadiya. He had contributions in the field of cooperative and was a farmer’s friend. May God give strength to the family members to bear the loss”, he wrote on his facebook wall.
Beside cooperators, Prime Minister of India and Chief Minister of Gujarat also paid condolences. PM said in his tweet, “Saddened to hear about the demise of former Porbandar MP Vitthalbhai Radadiya. Gujarat has lost a powerful farmer leader. He will always be remembered for his contributions in the field of cooperative, education, and in political sphere. May God give strength to the family members to bear the loss,”
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani in whose cabinet Radadiya Son’s is a minister tweeted, “Saddened by the demise of senior BJP leader Shri Vitthalbhai Radadiya. I express my deepest condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti.
A powerful figure in Gujarat’s co-operative sector with a strong base among farmers of Saurashtra, Radadiya represented Dhoraji Assembly constituency five times since 1993.
He played the role of a mediator between the state BJP government and the Patidar community agitating for quota.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Porbandar in 2009 on a Congress ticket, before joining the BJP in 2013, and then getting re-elected from the seat in a by-poll.
Radadiya went on to retain the seat in the 2014 general elections.