BENGALURU: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the family of veteran party leader Oscar , who passed away on Monday. The Wayanad MP, who reached Bengaluru on Thursday afternoon, went straight to the residence of the late leader and met the bereaved family.
Earlier, Rahul was received at the airport by KarnatakaPradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar, who had arranged for Oscar’s body to be airlifted from Mangaluru to Bengaluru. Rahul participated in the funeral service at St Patrick’s Church, held in the evening.
A host of Congress leaders, including AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, former Union minister K H Muniyappa, party in-charge of Maharashtra H K Patil, former deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwara and others were present.
Rahul also took part in the funeral service at the Hosur Road cemetery, where Oscar was laid to rest by teary-eyed family members. Calling Oscar Fernandes a friend, Rahul tweeted, “Spent some time with the family of Shri Fernandesji and paid last respects to him -- a friend, a guide and a true soldier of the Congress Party.’’
On the day the Congress leader died, Rahul said it was personal loss for him. Oscar (80) had been in hospital since July 19, a day after he had a fall in his residence near Mangaluru while doing his morning exercises.