Bengaluru: Renowned scholar-writer, M Chidananda Murthy died in a private hospital after a brief illness. He was 88 years old.

Murthy, who is known for his right-wing commentary, was a highly respected scholar. He is one of the prominent scholars who helped Kannada get the classical language status.

He shot to fame for his extensive research on Hampi.

He is survived by his wife, son and daughter and a significant number of followers.

Recently, he had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.