Union Cabinet condoles demise of Ananth Kumar

The Union Cabinet Tuesday condoled the demise of union minister Ananth Kumar, saying under his "stewardship" the BJP expanded inKarnataka and eventually formeda government of its own.

The 59-year-old Bangalore South MP died at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Monday after battling lung cancer for several months.

The special cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also observed a two-minute silence in the memory of Kumar.

The Cabinet noted that in his passing away, the nation has lost an experienced leader, an official statement said.

According to a resolution passed by the cabinet, from a student activist, Kumar became a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"It was under his stewardship that the party expanded in the state of Karnataka and eventually formed the government of its own," the resolution said.

The Cabinet also placed on record its appreciation of Kumar's services to the nation in different capacities and described his death as a loss of an experienced leader.