Sonia & Rahul Gandhi condole UR Ananthamurthy's demise

New Delhi, Aug 23: Condoling the

of Jnanpith awardee U R Ananthmurthy, Congress President

on Friday described the renowned

as a remarkable human being.

[Read: UR Ananthamurthy dies of kidney failure]

She said that the void created by his demise in the Indian literary space and social conscience will be hard to fill.

In his condolence message, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said that he was deeply saddened to hear of Ananthmurthy passing away.

"We have lost in him a world renowned writer, an educationist and a thinker," Rahul said.

Ananthamurthy passed away in Bangalore on Friday at the age of 82

"He contributed immensely not just to Kannada literature but brought great wisdom and insight to some of the most pressing national issues. His loss will be deeply mourned. My prayers are with his families," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the author's death on Twitter.

PTI