The world-renowned leprosy worker had been suffering from blood cancer since the last six months and was being kept on life support system. He died at 4.15 a.m., his son Vikas said.

Baba Amte is survived by his wife Sadhana and sons Vikas and Prakash. His funeral will be held Sunday.

A recipient of several national and international awards, including the Magsaysay, Padma Shree and Padma Vibhushan, Baba Amte established his leprosy rehabilitation centre at Anandvan in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra in 1951.

The Gandhian held the nationwide Bharat Jodo campaign from December 1985 to April 1986 to promote peace and unite people across the country.

The social worker was also famous for his environmental crusades, particularly the campaign against the building of the Narmada dam.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has expressed his condolences on the passing away of the famous Gandhian leader, Baba Amte.

The PM said "It is with a deep sense of grief and loss that I heard about the demise of Baba Amte. A true Gandhian who worked hard to uphold Gandhian values in their true spirit, Baba Amte became a legend in his own lifetime. The work he did for the upliftment of leprosy affected people at Anandvan alone puts him in a unique class of great national figures who lived for the betterment of their fellow human beings. His life long struggle to unite people across the length and breadth of the country on national and Gandhian lines and to eliminate all forms of discrimination and bias truly make him a saint of our times. The footprints of Baba Amte will be permanently embedded in the sands of time and will be a guiding beacon for all those working for the common good.

In this hour of sorrow, my heart reaches out to all those associated with Baba Amte and his millions of admirers across the nation. I pay homage to a truly great son of India and pray that his departed soul rests in peace."