Mysuru: A sea of farmers and several political leaders led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah paid their last respects on Monday to the leader of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Melkote MLA , K S Puttannaiah, who passed away Sunday night.
Mr Puttannaiah was watching a Kabbaddi tournament at the Vishweswaraiah stadium, when he suffered a massive cardiac arrest and collapsed. Although rushed to the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences, he did not make it.
Survived by his wife , a son and two daughters, he will be laid to rest on his farm in Kyathanahalli on Wednesday as his family living abroad is expected to arrive for his funeral. On Monday his body was kept for public viewing in Kyathanahalli till around 11.30am. Besides the Chief Minister, actor Darshan, PWD minister, Dr H.S. Mahadevprasad, Mandya MPs Puttaraju and Shobha Karandlaje, MLC, K T Srikantegowda, MLAs Vasu, Somshekar, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda and others paid their last respects to him.
Mr Siddaramaiah noted that Mr Puttannaiah was inspired by the farmers' movement led by Prof M D Nanjundswamy and was committed to the cause of the poor farmers.
“He was a secular, honest politician. He congratulated me soon after I presented the budget and told me he was preparing to contest the coming assembly elections. This is quite unfortunate and shocking," he added. BJP state chief, B.S.Yeddyurappa said Mr. Puttannaiah was the voice of the farmers , who aggressively fought to get them their share of the Cauvery water.
