Deve Gowda mourns Veerendra Kumar's death

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda mourned the demise of Rajya Sabha member and Managing Director of leading Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi M P Veerendra Kumar, hailing him as a great journalist and writer. In his condolence message, the JDS Supremo said, "My deep regrets for the sad demise of Shri M P Veerendra Kumar, Former Union Minister and a close friend and comrade of mine since decades." "I have personally lost a good friend of mine and it is indeed a loss to our Janata Parivar family for which he worked for many decades," he said.

Remembering Kumar as a politician of principles and a dedicated student of socialism, Gowda said he was at the forefront for the cause of welfare of the workers. He said as a journalist, Kumar was the man of inspiration and source for 'Mathrubhoomi' publication.

Gowda also recalled his contribution as a trade union leader who led many pro-people and pro-farmer agitations. Veerandra Kumar, who was a member of PTIs Board of Directors, died late Thursday at a private hospital in Kozhikode in Kerala following cardiac arrest.

Kumar, a Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala and a former union minister, was 84..