Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge condoles Ananth Kumar's death

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge condoled the death of Union Minister Ananth Kumar, who passed away Monday in Bengaluru, saying the country had lost a "valuable politician".

"As union minister of parliamentary affairs, he was always focused on his job and managed the debates with a smile," Kharge, who is the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, said in a statement.

The people of Karnataka are grief stricken with Kumar's death, who was a member of Parliament for six terms and a Union Minister in three governments, he added.

Kharge expressed his "deepest sympathies" for the family and supporters of the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.

After battling lung cancer for several months, Kumar passed away early Monday morning.

-PTI