Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday condoled the demise of Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy while recalling the former union minister's "razor sharp intellect" and"biting wit".
Naidu said Reddy was his close friend of four decades and they used to sit next to each other in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
"An exemplary orator, he was conferred 'Outstanding Parliamentarian Award' in 1998. With his razor sharp intellect and biting wit, he was also a powerful spokesperson of the party to which he belonged," the vice president said in his message.
Reddy, the vice president said, was known for cherishing and upholding democratic values. "A tireless champion of the vulnerable andmarginalised sections, his absence will be profoundly felt," Naidu said.