Ex-Karnataka minister Qamarul Islam dead

Bengaluru Sep 18 (IANS) Veteran Congress lawmaker and former Karnataka Minister Qamarul Islam died here on Monday after a cardiac arrest said a private hospital doctor. He was 69.

"Islam died post noon due to heart attack and multi-organ failure in the ICU where he was undergoing treatment for a leg wound over the last 10 days " Narayana Health Hospital senior consultant Shivaprasad told reporters.

A six-term legislator and a one-term Lok Sabha member from Kalaburgi in the state s northern region 630 km from Bengaluru Islam was a Wakf Minister in the Siddaramaiah government till he was dropped in June 2016.

"As Islam was a loyal Congressman for over four decades he was appointed in-charge of the party s affairs in Kerala in July " a party official said.

The body was shifted to the party s state unit office in the city from the hospital to enable leaders and cadres to pay homage.

"Islam s mortal remains will be flown in a helicopter to Kalaburgi later in the day for burial with state honours " added the official.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah the party s state unit president G. Parameshwara party s working president Dinesh Gunde Rao and other leaders mourned Islam s sudden death and expressed grief over the loss.

Hundreds of Islam s supporters and followers thronged his residence in the city s north suburb and also at Kalaburgi for paying their respects.

Though Islam began his political career in the late 1970s as a member of the Muslim League he joined the Congress in 1980.

He was also a minister in the S.M. Krishna government from 1999 to 2004.

--IANS
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