Bagalkot: Former minister H Y Meti was laid to rest with state honours at his native village Timmapur in Bagalkot district on Wednesday. Chief minister Siddaramaiah, several of his Cabinet colleagues, MLAs, and thousands of followers attended the funeral.Meti’s mortal remains were brought from Bengaluru to the district stadium here in the early hours of Wednesday, and a public viewing was arranged at the stadium. Later, the body was taken in an open jeep to Timmapur village. His last rites were performed according to Kuruba community customs, right next to the ‘samadhi’ of his parents. Later, speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said Meti was a dedicated politician who was instrumental in bringing a medical college and hospital to Bagalkot, work on which is set to begin soon. “The tender has already been issued, and the foundation stone will be laid soon. However, Meti won’t be there to witness it. Since 1983, I had a close association with him. We worked shoulder to shoulder in the AHINDA organisation,” Siddaramaiah said. “Despite being a year younger to me, he always treated me with great respect. Though he himself was a Kuruba, he had this quality of mingling with people from all castes and creeds,” the CM added. Terming Meti’s death as a personal loss for him, the CM recalled that in 1996, a survey in Bagalkot led to Meti contesting in the Lok Sabha elections. “At that time, Meti, who was a minister, honoured my words, relinquished his ministerial portfolio, contested the Lok Sabha elections, and won. He was also instrumental in Deve Gowda becoming the Prime Minister,” Siddaramaiah said. “It wasn’t easy for someone from the Kuruba community to win in Bagalkot, but Meti had the strength to bring everyone together,” the CM further said, adding: “The Bagalkot assembly constituency is poorer for his death.”
