Photo Gallery: Last rites of former Union Minister Ambareesh in Bengaluru

Actor-turned-politician MH Ambareesh died at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Saturday. He was 66. Ambareesh was rushed to the hospital after he complained of a breathing-related issue. The former Union minister has acted in over 200 films and served as the Karnataka minister of housing in the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet. He was an MLA with the Indian National Congress party, winning the assembly election of the Mandya constituency. He served as Minister of Housing, Karnataka Government in the Cabinet of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from May 2013 to June 2016.

A three-day mourning was declared by the Karnataka government after the death of former union minister MH Ambareesh. "As a mark of respect to the departed leader, the government has declared an official mourning of three days," a statement from Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's office said.

Several actors and political leaders took to Twitter to share their grief about the demise of Ambareesh.

The former union minister and actor, Ambareesh, was given a 21-gun salute during his last rites in Bengaluru.

Several thousands of fans queued up outside the Kanteerava Stadium grounds in the Karnataka capital, where 66-year-old actor-turned-politician Ambareesh's body was kept since early in the day.

The 66-year-old superstar of the sandalwood industry was a former cabinet minister in the previous Congress government from May 2013 to June 2016. He was also the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2006-2007 and a Parliament member from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.