<span style="color: #222222;">Veteran journalist and former Rajya Sabha member Patil Puttappa passed away due to age-related ailments at a hospital in Karnataka's Hubballi tonight. He was 99.<br />''<br />''Puttappa represented Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha for two terms. He was also the first president of the Kannada Watchdog Committee and was also the founder-president of the Border Advisory Committee.<br />''<br />''Fondly referred to as "PaPu", Puttappa was the founder-editor of weekly "Prapancha" and also edited "Navayuga". He also wrote columns in various dailies.<br />''<br />''Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa expressed his "deep grief" over the demise of Puttappa, who was also a Kannada activist.<br />''<br />''Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, former Karnataka chief ministers Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy, state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel and Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar condoled Puttappa's death.</span><br />