BENGALURU, Nov 12:
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar died at a private hospital here in the early hours of Monday after battling lung cancer for several months, hospital authorities said.
The 59-year-old Bangalore South MP breathed his last around 2 am at the Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre where he was under care after returning home in October following treatment in the US and Britain.
His wife Tejaswini and two daughters — Aishwarya and Vijetha — were by his side, B R Nagaraj, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation that runs the hospital, said.
There was no official bulletin from the hospital.
The Union Minister, who passed away from complications following cancer and infection, had been on the ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit for the last few days, Kumar’s office here said in a statement.
The mortal remains of Kumar were kept at his residence here today and the last rites will be performed tomorrow, the Karnataka unit of the BJP said.
The body will be taken to the State BJP office and the National College ground, which falls in his constituency, before the funeral at Chamarajapete crematorium in the afternoon, it said.
The national flag will fly at half mast throughout the country today as a mark of respect to Kumar, the Home Ministry announced in Delhi.
The Karnataka Government has declared three-day State mourning and a holiday on Monday as a mark of respect to the leader, who was groomed in the RSS stable before the stupendous rise in his political career graph.
Meanwhile, Governor, Satya Pal Malik has expressed deep shock over the sudden demise of Ananth Kumar. The State declared one day mourning as a mark of respect to the departed soul.
An official spokesman said that as a mark of respect to Ananth Kumar, Union Minister, the State Government today decided that the State and the National flags shall fly at half-mast on all buildings and places where these are flown regularly today.
Describing Kumar as a diligent leader, who devoted his life for public service, the Governor in his tribute observed that it will be difficult to fill the void left by him in country’s politics. He prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family in its hour of grief.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed his heartfelt grief on the sad and untimely demise of Ananth Kumar.
“I am deeply saddened by the sudden and untimely death of Ananth Kumar. In his death we have lost an able Parliamentarian and a distinguished colleague,” said Azad.
He also expressed his deepest sympathies to his wife, children and other members of the family. Azad prayed that the departed soul may rest in peace.
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