Union minister Ananth Kumar dies of lung cancer in Bengaluru hospital

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister and long-time BJP leader Ananth Kumar died at a private hospital here in the early hours of Monday after battling lung cancer for several months. He was 59.

The Bangalore South MP, who returned home in October after undergoing treatment in the US and Britain, breathed his last around 2 am with his wife Tejaswini and two daughters by his side, B R Nagaraj, chairperson of the board of trustees of Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation, told PTI.

The Union minister, who passed away from complications following cancer and infection, had been on the ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit for the last few days, his office said in a statement.

His mortal remains will be kept at his residence here the entire day Monday and the last rites will be performed Tuesday, the Karnataka unit of the BJP said.

The body will be taken to the state BJP office and the National College ground, which falls in his constituency, before the funeral at Chamarajapete crematorium, it said.

The national flag will fly at half mast throughout the country on Monday as a mark of respect to Kumar, the Home Ministry announced in Delhi.

The Karnataka government has declared three-day state mourning and a holiday on Monday as a mark of respect to the leader, a staunch RSS idealogue who was the first person to speak in Kannada in the United Nations.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and leaders across the political spectrum condoled the death of the death of the six-time parliamentarian.

Expressing his condolences, President Kovind said, "This is a tragic loss to public life in our country and particularly for the people of Karnataka. My condolences to his family, colleagues and countless associates."