CK Jaffer Sharief, senior Congress leader and former Union minister, passes away at 85

BENGALURU: Former railway minister and Congress veteran

C K Jaffer Sharief died on Sunday afternoon following a brief illness. He was 87.
He is survived by a son and two daughters.

A seven-time Lok Sabha member, Sharief, started his career under later Karnataka

CM and Lingayat strongman S Nijalingappa. After a split in the Congress, he took the side of Indira Gandhi.

As Railways minister, he was instrumental in gauge conversion of railways across the country and played a vital role in the development of rail network in Karnataka.

He was also instrumental in getting the Railway Wheel and Axle plant in Bengaluru.