The mortal remains of Surpur MLA and Chairman of Warehouse Corporation Raja Venkatappa Naik were consigned to the flames at the graveyard belonging to the royal family near Hosabhavi area in Surpur town of Yadgir district on Monday, with police personnel giving a gun salute to the leader on SP College Grounds.
Dr. Naik was 67. He died at a private hospital in Bengaluru, where he was admitted for treatment for long-term ailments.
Rajya Sabha MP and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Minister for Small Scale Industries and also district in-charge Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge paid their last respects to the MLA.
Mr. Kharge and Mr. Siddaramaiah spoke to the MLA’s wife Rani Latha Kumari Naik and sons Raja Venugopal Naik and Raja Santosh Naik.
Earlier, the mortal remains of Dr. Naik were brought to Surpur from Bengaluru and they were kept at his house for some time.
Then, they were draped in the national flag and shifted to SP College Grounds in a procession where all arrangements were made for the public to pay their last respects.
Several thousands of people, including followers and Congress workers from various parts of the State, paid their last respects to the leader.
Dr. Naik was from a royal family that fought the British. He completed his schooling and intermediate at Surpur and Hyderabad (Telangana) and got admission for MBBS at Mahadevappa Rampure Medical College in Kalaburagi.
He started his political life at the age of 30 by becoming a Mandal Pradhan in Peth Ammapur in 1987. In 36 years of his political career, Dr. Naik has been elected four times to the Assembly from Surpur Constituency.
He also contested the Lok Sabha elections from Raichur Constituency in 2009 but did not succeed. He recently took charge as Chairman of Warehouse Corporation.
Remembering Dr. Naik, Mr. Kharge said he has had a relationship with Dr. Naik’s family for five decades. His demise will be a great loss to the constituency. His concern for development, particularly irrigation, was highly remarkable, he added.
“Though Dr. Naik was from the royal family, he served people even when he was not in power,” Chief Minister Siddramaiah said.
Member of Parliament Raja Amareshwar Naik, Ministers B. Nagendra and Satish Jarkiholi, MLAs Basanagouda Daddal, Channareddy Patil Tunnur, Sharanagouda Kandkur and G. Karemma, the former MLA Amaregouda Bayyapur, Inspector-General of Police (North East Range) Ajay Hilori, Deputy Commissioner B. Susheela, Chief Executive Officer of ZIlla Panchayat Garima Panwar, Superintendent of Police G. Sangeetha and others also paid their last respects to Dr. Naik.
The police had made elaborate security arrangements.
