Former Union minister and managing director of Mathrubhumi M.P. Veerendra Kumar died at a private hospital in Kozhikode on Thursday night. According to reports, the veteran socialist leader was hospitalised at 8.30 pm after he suffered a cardiac arrest. A noted writer and orator, Veerendra Kumar is the recipient of several awards including Kendra Sahitya Academy Award, Kerala Sahitya Academy Award, Vayalar Award, Odakkuzhal Award and Rajiv Gandhi National Award. The funeral will be held at Kalpetta in Wayanad today. He became the MP from Kozhikode in 1996 and in 1997.
Veerendra Kumar became Union minister of state for finance and later handled the portfolios of labour and parliament affairs. He is survived by wife Usha, children Asha, Nisha, Jayalakshmi and Shreyams Kumar. Eminent personalities from politics and cinema expressed their condolences. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Shashi Tharoor, Megastar Mammooty, Prithviraj Sukumaran remembered expressed sorrow on his sad demise.