New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS): Various organizations associated with the Sangh Parivar expressed grief following the death of Balakrishna Naik, a former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) National Vice-President and senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak.

The 78-year-old breathed his last at 11.30 p.m. on Wednesday evening in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

Talking to IANS, VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said Balakrishna Naik became an RSS Pracharak after doing engineering from Stanford University in the US. He then joined the VHP in 1974 and spent almost 23 years in Communist-ruled West Bengal. He took the initiative to unite sants from all faiths. He served as the coordination head of this forum for 15 years. Naik also served as the VHP's Joint General Secretary as well as its National Vice-President.

Naik was a calm, jovial, humble and soft-spoken man who also practised Vipasana. He had deep contacts with sants and spiritual gurus from the Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, Sanatan Arya Samaj communities across the world.

Vinod Bansal said that despite suffering from asthma for a long time, Naik continued travelling in the country and abroad spreading the ideology and ideals of Hindutva.

He said Naik had expressed his desire to renounce his body in UP's Kushinagar. He also worshipped and sought the blessings of Lord Buddha in the world famous Mahaparinirvana Temple on Wednesday morning. His health suddenly deteriorated in the evening and he died while undergoing treatment.