Chennai: The Chennai city bade a tearful adieu as the mortal remains of Congress MP from and founder of popular home appliances retail chain Vasanth & Co H Vasanthkumar, who died of Covid-19 here last night, was taken to his native village in Kanniyakumari district today.
Earlier, after following due health protocoals, the embalmed body of the Kanniyakumari MP, draped in Congress flag, was handed over to his family members.
From Apollo hospital it was taken to his Natesan Road residence in T.Nagar, where tens and hundreds of people, filed past the body and paid their last respects.
Soon after the body was brought to his residence, a steady stream of mourners and people from various walks of life, including TNCC president K S Alagiri paid homage.
Wearing face masks in view of the corona lockdown, scores of people, paid their last respects. Earlier, his body was scheduled to be taken to the TNCC headquarters ‘Sathyamurthy Bhavan’ to enable Congress leaders and members of various political parties to pay their last respects to the departed soul.
However, Alagiri, who broke down while paying homage, announced that on a request from the family members, the body was taken to Kamaraj Arangam in the city for a brief while where Alagiri, senior leader and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, AICC Tamilnadu in-charge Mukul Wasnik and several Congress leaders paid their respects.
Later, Vasanthkumar’s body was taken to his native Agastheeswaram village, near Kanniyakumari where it would be kept for public homage after which it would be laid to rest tomorrow morning.
The 70-year-old suave politician, who was a down to earth person and always had the people’s service in mind, was the first sitting Member of Parliament to succumb to the deadly coronavirus after he tested positive and admittedĀ to the Apollo hospital on 10 August.
After battling for life for nearly 20 days, his condition deteriorated over the last couple of days and he breathed his last yesterday night.
Announcing his death, a bulletin issued by Apollo hospital said he was treated in critical care unit by a team of doctors for ‘severe COVID pneumonia’.
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.