Friends, followers bid adieu to Union Minister Ananth Kumar

Senior leaders, including Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Governor Vaju Bhai Vala and BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, offered tribute to the departed politician, and consoled his family members.

BENGALURU: Thousands of people paid their last respects on Tuesday to Union Minister Ananth Kumar who passed away on Monday. Family members, friends, and followers paid tribute to the leader at his residence in Basavangudi before his mortal remains were moved to Bharatiya Janata Party’s state unit office in Malleswaram.

With the street cordoned off by police personnel, hundreds of his followers assembled around the office and chanted slogans in his support. Senior leaders, including Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Governor
Vaju Bhai Vala and BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, offered tribute to the departed politician, and consoled his family members. Students of schools, where Tejaswini Ananth Kumar’s voluntary organisation Adhamya Chetana serves free midday meals, made a beeline to catch one last glimpse of the union minister.

(Clockwise from top) People paying tribute to Union Minister Ananth Kumar at the BJP office in Bengaluru on Tuesday; BJP chief Amit Shah lays a wreath on the casket of the departed leader; people standing in queue outside the Chamarajpet crematorium; BJP leaders Sadananda Gowda, L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Amit Shah attended the cremation; Ananth’s wife Tejaswini and daughter at the crematorium. (Centre) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Governor Vajubhai Vala console Ananth’s family | Pandarinath B, Shriram B N, Nagaraja Gadekal

After about two hours, the casket was placed in a flower-draped vehicle, and the chants by the crowd grew louder as the procession left for the National College Grounds in Basavanagudi.In a slow procession, the mortal remains were taken to Chamarajpet crematorium on TR Mills Road, where about 2,000 people gathered to attend  the funeral. BJP president Amit Shah, accompanied by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, paid last respects to their departed colleague at the crematorium. Senior BJP leader and Ananth Kumar’s mentor, L K Advani, also bade his final goodbye. Minister for Irrigation and Medical Education D K Shivakumar attended the funeral on behalf of the state government.

Cabinet colleagues Nirmala Sitharaman, D V Sadananda Gowda, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ramdas Athawale, Dr Harsh Vardhan, and Piyush Goyal also sat in mourning.Slogans of “Amar Rahe Amar Rahe, Ananth Kumar Amar Rahe” echoed as Ananth Kumar’s mortal remains were placed on the pyre, and soldiers fired a 21-gun salute. The mortal remains were consigned to holy flames by his younger brother Nanda Kumar at 2.50 pm, as priests chanted Vedic hymns.BJP leader R Ashoka announced after the funeral that a condolence meeting will be held at National College Grounds on Thursday.

Brother lights pyre

The funeral of Union Minister Ananth Kumar was held with full state honours at Chamarajapet crematorium on TR Mills Road on Tuesday afternoon. Around 2,000 people gathered at the crematorium to witness the funeral. BJP national president Amit Shah, BJP leader LK Advani, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ramdas Athawale and others paid homage to Kumar by laying wreaths. Minister for Irrigation and Medical Education DK Shivakumar attended the funeral on behalf of the state government. Ananth Kumar’s fans shouted ‘Amar Rahe Amar Rahe, Ananth Kumar Amar Rahe’, as his mortal remains were placed on the pyre. After soldiers fired 21-gun salute, Kumar’s younger brother Nanda Kumar set fire to the pyre at 2.50 pm, amidst priests chanting vedic hymns. BJP leader R Ashoka, after the funeral, announced that a condolence meeting will be held at National College Grounds on Thursday.