Bengaluru: Leaders cutting across party lines paid their tributes to Minister Umesh Katti and called him a formidable force from North Karnataka who called spade a spade.

BJP bigwigs including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former CM B.S. Yediyurappa, BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel, and Katti’s several Cabinet colleagues will attend the funeral.

In his condolence message, Modi tweeted stating, “Shri Umesh Katti Ji was an experienced leader who made rich contributions to Karnataka’s development. Pained by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this tragic hour. Om Shanti”.

Leader of Opposition Siddharamaiah paid his last respects to the mortal remains of Katti at the HAL Airport. “Katti being a sitting Cabinet Minister at the time of death, the State Government should have declared three-day mourning,” Siddharamaiah said.

Sources, however, said that the one-day mourning was declared to facilitate the Janotsava Convention planned on Sept. 8 (Thursday) in Doddaballapura.

Recalling his association with Katti, Siddharamaiah said “Katti was a PWD Minister when I was the Deputy CM, also holding Finance portfolio in the Cabinet of J.H. Patel. Katti was a jovial man, known for his straightforward talk. But 61 is not an age to die. Katti had cardiac-related ailments, but neglected them,” the ex-CM said.

Minister for Higher Education Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan said Katti was a man of few words. “He had cardiac issues. Because of the massive heart attack, he lost his life. He was a man of few words. Umesh has always been a people’s man,” Ashwathnarayan said.