Union consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who was ailing for quite some time, has passed away. The 74-year-old leader from Bihar had undergone a heart surgery days ago at a Delhi hospital. His son and Lok Janshakti Party President Chirag Paswan on Thursday evening announced the demise of his father. Paswan who had been in active politics for more than five decades and is one of the country's most noted Dalit leaders, has been hospitalised for the last few weeks.