Former union minister and veteran Congress leader Oscar Fernandes has passed away.

Oscar Fernandes breathed his last at the age of 80 at Mangaluru in Karnataka on Monday.

Fernandes served as Union Road Transport Minister in the UPA government.

Oscar Fernandes was regarded to be a close aide of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Fernandes had also served as a parliamentary secretary to former PM Rajiv Gandhi.

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Oscar Fernandes was being treated at the ICU of Yenepoya Hospital in Mangaluru since July.

His health condition was stated to be critical after suffering injuries after an accidental fall while doing yoga.

For the first time he was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980 from Udupi constituency.

From the same constituency, Oscar was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1996.