Chennai: The last rites of Congress MP and entreprenuer H Vasanthakumar, who passed away Friday in Chenai due to Covid-19, will be performed at his native village near Nagercoil today by following coronavirus protocols.
Founder of popular home appliances retail chain Vasanth & Co, Vasanthkumar became the first sitting Member of Parliament to succumb to the deadly virus.
A bulletin issued by Apollo Hospital, where he was admitted on 10 August, said while announcing the death of Vasanthakumar, he was treated in critical care unit by a team of doctors for ‘severe COVID pneumonia’.
“Despite all active medical measures his condition deteriorated gradually due to Covid-19 complications and passed away today,” it said.
He is the first MP from TN to die of corona and the second lawmaker after DMK MLA J Anbazhagan who succumbed to the virus on 10 June. Seventy-year-old Vasanthakumar, born in a family with political background with his elder brother and former TNCC President Kumari Ananthan, had earlier served as MLA of the State Assembly from Nanguneri in 2006 and 2016.
He had resigned as MLA in 2019 after his election to the Lok Sabha in 2019. Founder of home appliances retail chain the popular Vasanth and Co, Vasanthakumar was elected from Kanniyakumari seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Vasanthakumar was also the vice-president of TNCC and chairman of TNCC traders wing. In the year 1978 he started the home appliances sales showroom Vasanth & Co, which later grew into a popular retail chain with outlets across Tamilnadu, Karnataka and neighbouring Puducherry.
Always clad in white trousers and white shirt, with the Congress shawl on his shoulders, Vasanthkumar was a smiling face and was a sown to earth person, having won the hearts of the people of his constituency by heldping people in needy.
He started his career as a salesman with the VGP, which was the first to enter into the consumer and home appliance business, and went on to found Vasanth & Co, and made it a successful business chain, which became a household name in the State.
He also revolutionised the concept of EMI by offering home durables at less and later and at zero interest rates with attractive offers on all festival occasions, be it Pongal, Deepavali, Christmas and New Year.
Sources, while confirming that he had subsequently tested negative for corona during treatment but died due to Covid pneumonia, said his body would be taken from the hospital to his residence in the city.
It would be kept for public homage at the TNCC headquarters ‘Sathiyamurthy Bhavan’ in the city after which it would be taken to his native village in Nagercoil.
Meanwhile, his niece and Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is the daughter of Vasanthakumar’s elder brother Kumari Ananthan, penned a heart-warming poem as a mark of respect to the late Congress MP.
President Ramnath Kovid, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress former President Rahul Gandhi, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, TN Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, TNCC president K S Alagiri, alliance party leaders including DMK president M K Stalin, MDMK chief Vaiko, and leaders cutting across party lines condoled the death of Vasanthakumar.
Congress, in its Twitter page, deeply condoled his untimely demise. “A staunch Congressman, true leader of the people & beloved MP. He will be sorely missed by all members of the Congress party & his followers. Our prayers are with hisĀ family in this time of grief,” it said.
Modi in a tweet said “Saddened by the demise of Lok Sabha MP Shri H. Vasanthakumar Ji. His strides in business and social service efforts were noteworthy. During my interactions with him, I always saw his passion towards Tamil Naduās progress. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti.”
Born in a family of Congress-supporters in Agastheeswaram, near Kanyakumari, Vasanthakumar studied at the S T Hindu College in Nagercoil.