Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister Umesh Katti, in charge of the forest, food, civil supplies and consumers affairs departments, has died of a heart attack. He was 61.
Katti died due to heart attack at MS Ramaiah Hospital on Tuesday night.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed deep grief on the demise.
“Shri Umesh Katti Ji was an experienced leader who made rich contributions to Karnataka’s development. Pained by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this tragic hour. Om Shanti,” Modi tweeted. Calling him a close family friend and brother Tuesday night, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai broke down while paying his condolences. He declared one-day state mourning across the state on Wednesday.
“Katti’s last rites will be performed with full state honours. No official programmes will be conducted and the national flag will be flown at half mast in all official buildings and places,” a government notification said. His last remains were being airlifted to Belagavi, at the time this report was filed. Speaking to reporters on the intervening night of September 6 and September 7, doctors at the hospital said Katti collapsed in the bathroom of his Dollar’s Colony residence in the city and his family members rushed him to the hospital.
“When the minister was brought to the hospital, he had no pulse. We tried to revive him, but to no avail,” they said. His mortal remains were airlifted to his home district of Belagavi from Bengaluru’s HAL airport. From Sambra airport in Belagavi, Katti’s body will be taken to Hira Sugar Factory in Sankeshwar for people to pay their last respects.
The body will be then shifted to Katti’s native village of Belladbagewadi in Hukkeri taluk, where the last rites will be performed in the evening. Katti is survived by his wife, son and daughter. An eight-time MLA from Hukkeri assembly constituency, Katti had joined politics after the death of his father Vishwanath Katti in 1985, who was then a sitting MLA.
Katti started his political career with Janata Party and then joined Janata Dal, JDU and JDS, before joining BJP in 2008. He has the distinction of working with political bigwigs like JH Patel, BS Yediyurappa, DV Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar.
Katti was often in news for his remarks on statehood for North Karnataka and expressed his desire to be its first chief minister.
