CHITRADURGA : The last rites of Congress leader D Sudhakar, who was Minister for Planning and Statistics in the Karnataka cabinet, were performed at the Jain Dham in Challakere, Chitradurga district, on Monday evening.
Sudhakar, who was also Chitradurga district in-charge minister, passed away owing to a lung infection at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday morning. Sudhakar’s son Suhas performed the last rites by lighting the funeral pyre. The late Congress leader’s mortal remains were brought from Bengaluru to Hiriyur on Sunday and were then moved to his Challakere residence. At 10am on Monday, the body was shifted to Sudhakar Stadium, where it was kept for the public to pay homage. Later, it was transported in a decorated truck to the Jain Dham, where the last rites were performed according to Jain tradition with full state honours, that included a three-round gun salute.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Assembly Speaker UT Khader, ministers, and several other political leaders were present.
Later, Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy said that Sudhakar led a simple life. “I know him for the last 25 years. We worked together in the cabinet. His smiling and honest personality is an example for all of us,” he said.
Remembering the contributions of Sudhakar, Labour Minister Santosh Lad said the former always stood for the farmers and the poor. He said that the government’s attention will be drawn to the idea of naming the Upper Bhadra Project after Sudhakar.