Day of tragedy for Congress: Rahul Gandhi tweets after death of Jaffer Sharief and Ambareesh

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi condoled the death of two party veterans, Jaffer Sharief and MH Ambareesh, who died on Sunday. Rahul referred to the loss as a day of tragedy for the Congress party.

"It is a day of tragedy for the Congress party, with another senior, loved and respected member of our family in Karnataka, Shri Jaffer Sharief Ji, passing away today. My condolences to his family, friends and supporters in their time of grief," Rahul tweeted. 

Former union minister CK Jaffer Sharief died in Bengaluru at the age of 85. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Fortis Hospital on Cunningham Road. He was hospitalised after he collapsed while getting into the car for Friday namaz.

Another former union minister MH Ambareesh also passed away on Sunday following a cardiac arrest. The 66-year-old superstar of the sandalwood industry was a former cabinet minister in the previous Congress government from May 2013 to June 2016. He was also the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2006-2007 and a Parliament member from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had already declared a three-day mourning in the state due to MH Ambareesh's death before the news of Sharief's demise came in.

Several thousands of fans queued up outside the Kanteerava Stadium grounds in the Karnataka capital, where 66-year-old actor-turned-politician Ambareesh's body was kept since early in the day.