L K Advani joins tearful adieu to H N Ananth Kumar

Bengaluru: The mortal remains of Union Minister, H.N. Ananth Kumar, who passed away early Monday morning in a city hospital, were consigned to flames with full state honours at the Chamarajapet Hindu Rudura Bhoomi  Tuesday afternoon. 

His younger brother, Nanda Kumar, performed the last rites and lit the funeral pyre amidst the chanting of Vedic hymns by priests. A stream of leaders including Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu, BJP's patriarch, L.K. Advani, party president, Amit Shah and several Union Ministers including Home Minister, Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman paid their tributes to the departed leader.

Before the cremation, Mr Ananth Kumar's body taken to the BJP state office in Malleshwaram from his home in Basvaanagudi in a flower-bedecked military vehicle around 9 a m. The casket was placed in the basement of the BJP office where state party chief, B.S.Yeddyurappa, Union Minister, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, senior party leaders, R. Ashok, K.S.Eshwarappa, Jagadish Shettar, party general secretaries, office bearers and the public paid tribute to him.

Many of those present turned emotional, recalling Mr. Kumar's tireless service to the party, and his prompt attendance at  meetings, training sessions and programmes held at the same BJP office. Some found it hard to believe that he was gone when just four months ago, in June, he had attended a party function at the Jagannatha Bhavan.

At 10.30 am, the departed leader's body was taken to the National College grounds in Basavanagudi , where thousands of party workers,  and people of the Bengaluru South Parliamentary constituency he represented, paid homage to him.

Students of the schools, that are provided a mid-day meal by the Adammya Chetana, an NGO run by Mr Ananthkumar's wife, Tejaswini,   paid a floral tribute to him there, before the body was taken to the Chamarajpet crematorium in the midst of  chanting of Vande Mataram and Vedic hymns at 12.20pm and consigned to  flames.