Seven-day mourning in Kerala for G.Karthikeyan

A seven-day mourning was declared in Kerala following the demise of state assembly speaker G.Karthikeyan at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Saturday.

A special cabinet meeting in the evening discussed how the prominent Congress leader be given his last farewell, befitting Karthikeyan's stature.

The 66-year-old Congress leader served as a minister in the Kerala cabinet on two occasions. He was elected to the assembly six times.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy later told reporters that Karthikeyan's body would be brought from the airport to his official residence here and would be kept there till Sunday morning.

"The state government has declared a seven-day mourning. Today and tomorrow, the Tricolour will fly at half mast," he said.

The Kerala government also announced a half-day holiday on Saturday in all government and educational institutions in the state.

"Tomorrow morning the body would be kept for a while at the Legislature Complex members lounge. From there, it would be taken to the Congress headquarters and from there to the Secretariat Durbar Hall.

"Around 12 noon, it would be taken to his assembly constituency at Arayanad (near here). From 4 p.m., the religious rites would be held at his own home in the city.

"At 6.00 p.m., it would be brought to the crematorium in the city where he would be cremated with full state government honours and the cremation will take place at 6.30 p.m.," the chief minister added.