The body of Melkote MLA K.S. Puttannaiah, who died of a cardiac arrest on Sunday night, was shifted to Mysuru on Monday to be preserved until the funeral, which is expected to be held on Thursday. The family is awaiting the arrival of his daughters, who are settled in the United States.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who visited the village to pay his last respects to the farmers’ leader, said the State government would install a statue of Puttannaiah in Pandavapura.
Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers and fans of Puttannaiah from across Mandya and neighbouring districts thronged Kyathanahalli near Pandavapura. The late MLA’s body was kept at the Sir M. Visvesvaraya Stadium for the public to pay their homage. The body was wrapped in a green shawl, a symbol of the farming community.
While the private school owners’ association declared a holiday for schools, shopkeepers voluntarily downed shutters as a mark of respect for the leader.
