SL Dharme Gowda passes away: BS Yediyurappa, Deve Gowda condole death of 'upright, gentlemanly politician'

Political leaders across party lines expressed shock over the death of Karnataka Legislative Council Deputy Chairman SL Dharme Gowda on Tuesday.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa expressed shock over the incident, terming it "unfortunate". He lauded the MLC for efficiently conducting the legislative council as its deputy chairman.

JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, in a tweet, expressed shock over Dharme Gowda's death and remembered him as a gentleman politician.

His death is a loss to the state, Deve Gowda added.

ವಿಧಾನಪರಿಷತ್ ಉಪಸಭಾಪತಿ ಹಾಗೂ @JanataDal_S ಮುಖಂಡರಾದ ಎಸ್.ಎಲ್. ಧರ್ಮೇಗೌಡರು ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೇಳಿ ಆಘಾತವಾಗಿದೆ. ಸಜ್ಜನ, ಸನ್ನಡತೆಯ ಉಪಸಭಾಪತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡದ್ದು ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ನಷ್ಟ. ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ ಹಾಗೂ ಬಂಧುಮಿತ್ರರಿಗೆ ಈ ನೋವು ಭರಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಭಗವಂತ ನೀಡಲಿ.

— H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) December 29, 2020

JD(S) leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said Dharme Gowda was like a brother to him. "His death has caused a shock to me. He was an upright politician," Kumaraswamy said in a tweet.

ವಿಧಾನಪರಿಷತ್ ಉಪಸಭಾಪತಿ, @Janatadal_S ಪಕ್ಷದ ಹಿರಿಯ ಮುಖಂಡರು ಹಾಗೂ ನನ್ನ ಸಹೋದರರಂತಿದ್ದ ಎಸ್.ಎಲ್.ಧರ್ಮೇಗೌಡರ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಸುದ್ದಿ ತೀವ್ರ ಆಘಾತವನ್ನುಂಟುಮಾಡಿದೆ. ನಿಷ್ಕಲ್ಮಶ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವದ ಸಜ್ಜನ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಯೊಬ್ಬರನ್ನು ನಾವು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಧರ್ಮೇಗೌಡರ ಕುಟುಂಬ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಈ ನೋವು ಭರಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಭಗವಂತ ಕರುಣಿಸಲಿ.

— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) December 29, 2020

Dharme Gowda was in the news recently after the main opposition Congress members manhandled him in the Upper House for trying to chair the session illegally.

The BJP's Karnataka chief Shobha Karandlaje recalled the incident while paying tributes to him on Tuesday.

Sri #SLDharmeGowda lived a diciplined life & widely respected by all, was deeply disturbed & upset ever since he was pulled down from Chairman's seat by Congress MLCs.

Representatives should learn to behave, Karnataka will miss a leader of impeccable character!

Om Shanti!

— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) December 29, 2020

Dharme Gowda was found dead on a rail track in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka in the early hours of Tuesday, with police sources claiming he died by suicide.

The body was found on a rail track near Gunasagara in Kadur taluk, they said.

Dharme Gowda, 64, who was an MLC from JD(S), is survived by his wife, son and a daughter. His brother, S L Bhoje Gowda, is also an MLC.

PTI quoted sources as saying that Gowda had left his farmhouse at Sakharayapattana in a private car on Tuesday evening but did not return home, following which his family members and staff started searching for him.

He had reportedly asked his driver to stay at a distance and went alone on the pretext of talking to someone, the sources said, adding that a suicide note has been recovered.

The body has been shifted to the McGann Hospital in Shivamogga, official sources said.

With inputs from PTI

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