Bengaluru, Nov. 12 (PTI): Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister and long-time BJP leader Ananth Kumar died at a private hospital here in the early hours of Monday after battling lung cancer for several months. He was 59.
The Bangalore South MP, who returned home in October after undergoing treatment in the US and Britain, breathed his last around 2 am with his wife Tejaswini and two daughters by his side, BR Nagaraj, chairperson of the board of trustees of Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation, told PTI.
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, his office said in a statement.
His mortal remains will be kept at his residence here the entire day Monday and the last rites will be performed Tuesday, 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, it said.
The national flag will fly at half-mast throughout the country on Monday 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, a staunch RSS ideologue who was the first person to speak in Kannada in the United Nations.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and leaders across the political spectrum condoled the death of the death of the six-time parliamentarian.
Kumar steadily climbed up the political ladder, beginning as an RSS worker to becoming a Union minister when he was only in his 30s. He enjoyed the credit of being the “youngest” minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet in 1998.
He remained in the inner circle of the central leadership of the BJP — be it during the heyday of Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Narendra Modi now.
Kumar first got elected to Lok Sabha in 1996 from Bangalore South, the constituency which remained his bastion till his death.
He joined the BJP in 1987 and never looked back, holding the posts of state secretary, state president of the Yuva Morcha, party general secretary and national secretary.
Along with state BJP chief Yeddyurappa, Kumar is among the few party leaders who can be credited for the growth of the BJP in Karnataka, bringing it to power in 2008 and making it the first saffron party government in the south.
Acharya, Rio share grief
Governor PB Acharya has expressed shock at the demise of Kumar. In a condolence message, he recalled Kumar as a “personal friend of mine” for whom he had brotherly affection.
Acharya described Kumar as “a very popular social worker” elected by a very enlightened constituency for six consecutive times. “Since long time we knew each other as comrades in Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) organisation. It is a personal loss to me.
“I convey my heartfelt condolence to the members of the bereaved family and pray to Almighty to grant strength and solace to bear the irreparable loss,” it read.
In a separate statement, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio expressed pain at the death of the union minister and veteran parliamentarian.
Kumar, Rio stated, was an able administrator and excelled in the ministries he handled. His contribution for introducing neem-coated urea in the fertiliser sector and reduction in prices of essential medicines and implants in pharmaceuticals sector were path breaking and showed his concern for the farmers and the poor, the chief minister stated.
“I fondly remember my association with him as a member of the 16th Lok Sabha from May 2014 to February 2018 and would forever cherish the time spent with him. People of the Northeast also remember him for the decision to set up the National Institute of Pharmaceuticals Education and Research campus at Guwahati.
“I convey my deepest condolences to the family members of late Shri Ananth Kumar and pray to God to grant them the strength to bear this loss. May the departed soul rest in peace,” the message read.
