Hyderabad: Former Union minister and veteran actor Uppalapati Krishnam Raju passed away on Sunday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.He was 83 and is survived by his wife and three daughters.Raju was the uncle of Baahubali star Prabhas.Hospital sources said he was suffering from post-COVID-19 ailments. He was admitted to the hospital on August 5.He was a two-time Lok Sabha member and served as Union minister of state in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief ministers of the Telugu states, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy and several film personalities were among those who condoled his death.“Saddened by the passing away of Shri UV Krishnam Raju Garu. The coming generations will remember his cinematic brilliance and creativity. He was also at the forefront of community service and made a mark as a political leader. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” Modi tweeted.Known as ‘Rebel Star’, Raju acted in over 180 films and remained a trendsetter with his rebellious characters. He started his film career with the Telugu movie Chilaka Gorinka in 1966. His last film was the Prabhas-starrer Radhe Shyam.He won several awards and accolades for various roles he portrayed in films.Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in a statement condoled his death. KCR said that the death of Krishnam Raju is a great loss for the Telugu silver screen. Rao instructed officials to conduct the last rites of Krishnam Raju with official honours.Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy in a tweet said “The death of former Union Minister and famous film actor Rebel Star Krishnam Raju is sad. His services to the people as an actor and political leader are memorable. Deepest condolences to the family members of Krishna Raju, wishing his soul to rest in peace.”The AIG Hospitals, where he was undergoing treatment, in a statement, said he was admitted for post-COVID complications on August 5. He was diagnosed with severe pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungal organisms, and severe infective bronchitis.He had heart rhythm disturbances during the hospital stay and worsening of kidney function. He was managed on ventilator support since admission.He was on appropriate treatment and close monitoring was done.“He succumbed to severe pneumonia and its complications on 11.9.22 and expired at 3.16 AM today due to cardiac arrest,” it said.