Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reached Bengaluru where he paid his last tribute to senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ananth Kumar, who breathed his last this morning. Kumar left for his heavenly abode after battling lung cancer for several months. Apart from Modi, Union Minister JP Nadda and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid their last respects to Kumar at his Bengaluru residence.
Kumar, the 59-year-old Bengaluru South MP passed away around 2 am at the Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre where he had been on the ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for the last few days. However, there was no official bulletin from the hospital.
The BJP leader is survived by his wife Tejaswini and two daughters - Aishwarya and Vijetha.
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The mortal remains of Kumar were kept at his residence Monday and the last rites will be performed Tuesday. 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.
The national flag is flown at half-mast throughout the country on Monday as a mark of respect to Kumar.
Read | Union Minister Ananth Kumar passes away; lost a valuable colleague, says PM Modi
Besides, 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.
(With inputs from agencies)
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