The state funeral of union minister Ananth Kumar, 59, who died at 2 am on Monday,took place today at Karnataka capital Bengaluru's Chamrajpet TR Mill crematorium. The mortal remains of Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister were consigned to flames with full state honours after hundreds of mourners paid their last respect to the departed soul. Before the last rites, the body of the union minister was brought to the Karnataka BJP office at 8 am. The body was kept there for the public to pay their last respects, till 10 am. The body was then shifted to National College Grounds at 10 am.
After news of his death, condolence messages from a vast spectrum of political leaders poured out. President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, home minister Rajnath Singh, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and many other leaders expressed grief and shock over Ananth Kumar's death.
Ananth Kumar died at a private hospital in Bengaluru. He was being treated for lung cancer for several months. The Karnataka government on Monday declared a three-day state mourning till November 14 as a mark of respect. A government notification said there would be no official programmes held during the state mourning. The national flag would fly at half-mast on all government buildings.
BJP chief Amit Shah, home minister Rajnath Singh, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Nirmala Sitharaman, LK Advani and Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan attended the funeral.
Here are the highlights from union minister Ananth Kumar's funeral:
Read Here: Union Minister Ananth Kumar Cremated With State Honours In BengaluruUnion Minister and senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar, who died on Monday morning at a hospital in Bengaluru, was cremated this afternoon. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP President Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and other political leaders attended the funeral.
Smt @nsitharaman pays last respects to the departed Shri Ananth Kumar pic.twitter.com/pxmBxg1Rwq
- Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) November 13, 2018
The 59-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader died on Monday at a private hospital here due to multiple organ failure.
Anath Kumar's body was kept in a glass casket draped in the national flag for people to pay their last respects.
Thousands of people, including school children, gathered at the National College Grounds from across Bengaluru to pay homage to him.
The body was taken from his Basavanagudi residence in Karnataka capital Bengaluru, where it was kept since Monday morning to Jagannath Bhavan, the BJP state headquarters at Malleshwarm, in a decorated military vehicle with personnel of the three services- the Army, Navy and Air Force- accompanying it, according to news agency Press Trust of India.
The procession began, with supporters chanting slogans "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", "Ananth Kumar Amar Rahe", according to PTI.
State BJP President BS Yeddyurappa and party's General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Muralidhar Rao were present at the state BJP office.
Several BJP leaders including Union Minister Sadananada Gowda, R Ashoka, KS Eshwarappa, Anurag Thakur, Prahlad Joshi and hundreds of party workers paid their last respects to the departed leader at the party office, where the body will be kept for about an hour.
"The cancer had spread to other parts of his body that resulted in his multi-organ failure and death," the BJP's state unit spokesman S Shantaram said.
In Bengaluru, I paid tributes to Shri Ananth Kumar Ji. We've lost an outstanding public servant, who had a positive impact on the lives of many. Also spent time with his family members. pic.twitter.com/SRXPqyY9x5
- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 12, 2018
Read Here: After Last Respects, Ananth Kumar To Be Cremated In Bengaluru TodayUnion Minister and senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar, who died on Monday morning at a hospital in Bengaluru, will be cremated this afternoon. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP President Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan are expected to attend the funeral.
