Union minister Ananth Kumar was 59 and was battling cancer. He died at a private hospital in Bengaluru at 2 AM today. Condolences are pouring in from several politicians. Final rites will be performed on Tuesday at Chamarajapet. PM Modi will pay his tributes tomorrow.
Veteran BJP leader from Karnataka, Ananth Kumar, 59, breathed his last at Shankara Cancer Hospital in Bengaluru, at 2 AM on Monday.
Ananth Kumar was being treated at hospitals in London and New York. And was flown to Bengaluru, some days ago. His wife Tejaswini had earlier said that he was on ventilator in the ICU of the hospital for the last few days.
The Union minister's mortal remains will be kept for public viewing at his residence in Bengaluru till Tuesday morning at 7 AM. After that, it will be in the state BJP office from 7 AM to 9 AM on Tuesday.
The remains will be kept in National College Grounds in Basavanagudi till 1 PM. The last rites will be performed on November 13. PM Modi will be present for the final rites of Ananth Kumar at Chamarajapet.
He was serving as the Union minister for parliamentary affairs and has been a six-time MP.
The national flag will fly at half mast across the country as a mark of respect. The state has announced three-day state mourning. All schools, colleges and offices in the state are closed today.
Tdy is a sad sad day - my brother, my friend, my mentor passes away. He was family to me - He was one of my few real friends in politics n a genuinely good human being ! I will miss him hugely 🙏🏻😢😢 n Farewell my dear friend. U left too soon. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@rajeev_mp)Deep sense of grief on hearing that Shri is no more with us. Served all along. Bengaluru was in his head and heart, always. May God give his family the strength to bear with this loss.
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman)Shocked , it’s unbelievable , My friend , Brother Ananthkumar is no more . pic.twitter.com/zMOYEn7gXc
— Sadananda Gowda (@DVSBJP)Extremely saddened by the passing away of my valued colleague and friend, Shri Ananth Kumar Ji. He was a remarkable leader, who entered public life at a young age and went on to serve society with utmost diligence and compassion. He will always be remembered for his good work.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)Ananth Kumar has been my friend from early Jan Sangh days. At personal level he was easy going and friendly. So I must say that I am sad he has departed
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39)I am grief stricken to learn about the untimely demise of our senior leader and union minister Shri Ananth Kumar ji. He served the nation and organisation with unparalleled zeal and dedication. Ananth ji worked tirelessly to strengthen the BJP in the state of Karnataka.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah)Extremely pained by the sudden demise of Union Minister and my colleague, Shri Ananth Kumar Ji. He will always be remembered for his works as parliamentarian and a political leader. My thoughts & prayers are with his family. May God render peace to the departed soul. ॐ शांति l
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley)I am pained to know about the sad demise of Shri Ananth Kumar. He was like my younger brother. His death is a personal loss for me.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj)ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸಚಿವ ಅನಂತ್ಕುಮಾರ್ ಸಾವಿನ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೇಳಿ ಆಘಾತಗೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಮತ್ತು ದೆಹಲಿ ನಡುವಿನ ಕೊಂಡಿಯೊಂದು ಕಳಚಿಬಿದ್ದಿದೆ. ರಾಜಕೀಯವಾಗಿ ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಎತ್ತರಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆಳೆಯಲು ಅವಕಾಶ ಮತ್ತು ವಯಸ್ಸಿತ್ತು. ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ ವರ್ಗದ ದು:ಖದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನೂ ಭಾಗಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ. pic.twitter.com/TcwJEbIk7a
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah)I am under deep grief to hear about the untimely demise of my friend and union minister Shri Ananth Kumar ji. He worked tirelessly to strengthen the BJP in Karnataka and nation. May his soul rest in peace and God give strength to bear his loss to his family... pic.twitter.com/DZLuZNZsht
— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP)