President Ram Nath Kovind, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed grief over the death of noted actor and playwright Girish Karnad. After a prolonged illness, Karnad, 81 breathed his last earlier Monday in Bengaluru.
Taking to Twitter, President Kovind wrote, "Sad to hear of the passing of Girish Karnad, writer, actor and doyen of Indian theatre. Our cultural world is poorer today. My condolences to his family and to the many who followed his work."
PM Modi outlined Karnad's versatile acting over various platforms, while paying the tributes to the veteran actor.
"Girish Karnad will be remembered for his versatile acting across all mediums. He also spoke passionately on causes dear to him. His works will continue being popular in the years to come. Saddened by his demise. May his soul rest in peace", wrote PM Modi on Twitter.
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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday condoled the death of multi-lingual scholar and actor Girish Karnad, saying India has lost a beloved son whose memory will live on.
"Playwright, actor, director but above all a great human being, in Girish Karnad's passing India has lost a beloved son, whose memory will live on in the vast treasure trove of creative work he leaves behind. My condolences to his family and fans around the world," Gandhi tweeted.
Karnataka Declares State Mourning:
Karnataka has declared a holiday for schools, colleges, and government offices in the state on Monday, and three-day mourning till Wednesday, as a mark of respect to the Jnanpith awardee, multi-lingual actor and noted writer Girish Karnad, who died earlier in the day, an official said.
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"The state government has declared holiday for all schools, colleges, and offices for the day (Monday) and three-day mourning till June 12 as a mark of respect to Karnad," the official of the Chief Minister's Office told IANS.
The proposed Cabinet expansion on Wednesday is likely to be postponed to a later date due, he added.
Karnad, who was known for his work in the field of literature and cinema, also became a renowned face in the country after essaying the role of Swami's father in Malgudi Days TV series. He was conferred with Padma Shri in 1974 and Padma Bhushan in 1992.
For his outstanding contribution towards literature, Bharatiya Jnanpith also awarded him with Jnanpith, the highest Indian literary award in 1998, four years after winning the Sahitya Academy award in 1994.
(With inputs from Agencies)
