Known for his oratorical skills and outspokenness, veteran Congress leader and former union minister Jaipal Reddy never compromised on values throughout his political journey, The 77-year-old was recently diagnosed with pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital where he passed away.

The former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting died at a hospital here early Sunday.

Reddy's limited physical mobility due to polio never deterred him from achieving political heights and he served as a Lok Sabha MP for five terms, as a member of Rajya Sabha for two terms and was a four-term MLA.

After coming out of the Congress following imposition of Emergency, he joined the Janata party and contested against Indira Gandhi in Medak Lok Sabha constituency in 1980.He later joined its splinter group Janata Dal.