MYSURU: Thousands of people paid a tearful adieu to Cooperation and Sugar Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad at his native village Halahalli on Wednesday.
The sleepy, remote village in Gundlupet taluk was flooded with hundreds of vehicles, VIPs and more than 30,000 supporters from both Mysuru and Chamrajnagar districts during the funeral which was held with full state honours.
The mortal remains of the minister, kept at D Devaraj Urs stadium on Tuesday night, were taken to Halahalli and placed at the local community hall overnight. Later, the body was shifted to a special podium at a ground on the outskirts of the village.
Ganesh Prasad, son of Mahadeva Prasad, conducted the last rites as per Veerashaiva tradition under the supervision of Madapatna Sadashiva Swami. The body of Prasad was taken to his farmhouse were he was buried beside his parents’ graves.
Meanwhile, Gundlupet town and Begur observed a bandh to mourn the death of their legislator. Educational institutions were closed in the district and traders in Chamarajnagar also downed their shutter.
Many politicians, including BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa, MP Shobha Karandlaje and former minister V Somanna paid their respects.
Congress veterans Mallikarjun Kharge, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Kagodu Thimappa, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara, H C Mahadevappa, H K Patil, Tanveer Sait, M B Patil, Ramanath Rai, former Minister V Srinivasa Prasad, Murugesh Nirani, C T Ravi and KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao took part in the last rites.