Leaders Across Party Lines Pay Tribute to Former Union Minister Ananth Kumar

New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Leaders across party lines and presiding officers of both the Houses in Parliament Thursday paid tributes to former parliamentary affairs minister and BJP leader Ananth Kumar.

Kumar passed away at a hospital in Bengaluru on November 12 after battling lung cancer for several months.

His family members were also present at the condolence meet at the Constitution Club here.

"I can't even think I would have to come to his condolence meet," a teary-eyed BJP patriarch L K Advani said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said though she was only a few years elder to Kumar, he "used to call me Maa.''

Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu recalled Kumar as a lively person and an ideal grassroot worker and parliamentarian.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the late leader would be remembered for his expertise in parliamentary matters.

BJP chief Amit Shah said Kumar came into the BJP through his mother who was also associated with the party.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule, BJD's B Mahtab and Congress's K H Muniyappa were among other leaders attended the meet and paid their respects to Kumar.PTI JTR ANB

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)