Thousands pay homage to Rakesh Siddaramaiah in Karnataka

Mysuru (Karnataka), Aug 1 (ANS) Thousands of people on Monday bid farewell to Rakesh, elder son of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who died in Brussels last week, at the exhibition ground in the city, about 150 km from Benglauru.

'As scheduled, the cortege carrying the mortal remains of Rakesh was brought here in a special aircraft from Bengaluru after it was flown from Brussels by an Emirates Airlines flight earlier in the day,' an official said.

Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, their daughter-in-law and younger son Yathindra accompanied the cortege from Brussels.

Rakesh, 39, died of multiple-organ failure on Saturday at Antwerp University Hospital in Brussels. He was undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment at the hospital where he was admitted after developing sudden health complications when he was on a personal trip to Europe since July 21.

The body will be taken on road to T. Katur, about 40km from here, for the last rites at Siddaramaiah's farmhouse in the evening.

Besides state Governor Vajubhai Vala, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, former BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, state ministers, lawmakers and leaders of political parties offered floral tributes to the departed soul.

Holding back tears and with folded hands, an emotional Siddaramaiah stood by the cortege and expressed gratitude to all the people who came to the venue for paying respects to Rakesh and sharing his grief over the personal tragedy.

Elaborate security arrangements were made by the district authorities to regulate the flow of mourners in thousands and prevent any untoward incident.

Apart from people from Mysuru, Siddaramaiah's home city, hundreds of others from his Varuna village and Chamundeshwari, which he represents in the legislative assembly as the ruling Congress lawmaker, made a beeline for a last glimpse of Rakesh's body, which was kept on a raised dais for paying homage.

--IANS

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