(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Born in Hyderabad on October 5 1929 Venkataswamy had a long and illustrious career in politics spanning several decades.
Hyderabad: Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister G Venkataswamy died on Monday night following multi-organ failure. He was 85.
Popularly known as Kaka the Dalit leader who had been ailing for quite some time is survived by two sons — G Vinod a former minister in the late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy cabinet in undivided Andhra Pradesh G Vivek MP from Peddapalli in Karimnagar district and three daughters.
Born in Hyderabad on October 5 1929 Venkataswamy had a long and illustrious career in politics spanning several decades. He was first elected to the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly in 1957 and he entered the Lok Sabha in 1967 the first of the record seven times he was elected to the Lower House.
Always seen as a leader who was accessible to the people especially the poor and downtrodden Venkataswamy served the state and country in several capacities. He served as Labour and Civil Supplies Minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh between 1978-82 and as Union Minister of Labour and Textiles Minister in 1995-96. He was particularly involved in issues related to labour welfare.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao describing Venaktaswamay as someone whose heart always beat for Telangana extended his condolences to the bereaved family and announced that the last rites would be performed with full state honors.
A political leader of great experience Venkataswamy was one of the strong votaries of Telangana state. He was once injured in police firing in 1969 during the separate statehood movement near the Musheerabad central jail when he had gone to enquire about police firing on protestors in the area.
Venkatswamy was an active trade unionist and headed the Indian National Trade Union Congress from 1961 to 1964. He founded the B.R. Ambedkar Education Society which was converted into a public education trust . The society runs nine educational institutions from its huge campus at Bagh Lingampalli here. As the general secretary of National Huts Union he provided accommodation to 75000 hut dwellers and earned the sobriquet “Gudisela Venkatswamy”.
Leaders cutting across various political parities joined in paying tributes to the departed senior Congress leader. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu Congress leaders Ponnala Laxmaiah K Jana Reddy Union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu Bandaru Dattatreya BJP leaders Dr K Laxman and G Kishan Reddy were among those who condoled his death and recalled his services to the people the state and the nation.
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