Bengaluru: Former Union railway minister C K Jaffer Sharief passed away this morning at a hospital here, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

Sharief was 85.

He was admitted to a private hospital here a few days ago after he collapsed while getting into his car for Friday namaz. He passed away around 12.30 p.m. at Fortis Hospital in the city centre.

“One of @INCIndia’s senior most leaders, many times MP and one of India’s most successful Railway minister, Karnataka’s very own son Sri CK Jaffer Shareef has passed away. A national leader who had a great connect across all communities. a truly secular leader. My condolences,” Rao said in a tweet.

A veteran parliamentarian from Bengaluru North and Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituencies, Sharief was Union Railway Minister from 1991-1995 under the P.V. Narasimha Rao government at the Centre.