The Prime Minister visited Mrs. Kamalamma Sharada Prasad this morning and conveyed his condolences to her and other family members on the passing away of Shri H.Y Sharada Prasad. In his condolence message the Prime Minister recalled Shri Sharada Prasad's association with the freedom struggle and his service and dedication to the country.

The Prime Minister's condolence message is as follows:

"It is with a deep sense of grief and shock that I have learnt of the sad passing away of Shri H.Y. Sharada Prasad. He was a man of great erudition, civility and integrity, who embodied in his multi-faceted personality the highest ideals of public service. His scholarship and thinking shaped the views and public discourse of three Prime Ministers, who he served with great distinction as Media Advisor. He was jailed during the Quit India movement and his association with the freedom struggle instilled in him his strong sense of selfless service and dedication to duty that won him his very large circle of friends and admirers. He once said that he was lucky to be born in India at a time when Mahatma C;andhi still walked the earth. He was first and foremost a civil servant, steeped in Nehruvian traditions and inspired by Gandhian values. Despite the demands on his time, Shri Sharada Prasad was a prolific writer who wrote both in English and in Kannada. Despite his many accomplishments, his friends will always remember him as a simple man who led an extraordinary life in the service of the country. In his passing away, the country has lost a role model and an exceptional human being who left a deep impact on public life and in the world of letters.

I convey my heartfelt condolences to you and other members of the bereaved family."