Renowned social activist and former Member of Parliament Nanaji Deshmukh died on Saturdayevening at Chitrakoot district. He was 97. He was ill from a long time. He was also a former leader of Bharatiya Janata Party.<br/><br/>Nanaji was born on October 11, 1916 at Kadoli, a small town in Parbhani District of Maharashtra and was actively participated in Bhoodan Movement started by Acharya Vinoba Bhave. <br/><br/>When Jai Prakash Narayan gave the call for Total Revolution he responded by giving total support to this movement. Nanaji was elected from Balrampur parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh.<br/><br/>Nanaji was serving Deendayal Research Institute that he himself had established way back in 1969. He has also established Chitrakoot Gramodya Vishwavidyalaya in Chitrakoot- India's first rural university and was its first Chancellor.<br/><br/>He was nominated to Rajya Sabha in the year 1999 in recognition to his services to the nation.