Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday expressed grief over the demise of veteran journalist K. Amarnath.

“His viewpoint during television debates was highly appreciated by all,” said Reddy as he conveyed condolences to Amarnath’s bereaved family members.

The 69-year-old scribe was admitted in NIMS hospital in Hyderabad and succumbed there to Coronavirus. He is survived by his wife and son.

Born in Mamuduru village of West Godavari district, Amarnath initially started his career as a staff member in the UPSC, which he quit after a decade to join the desk in Telugu daily Andhra Bhoomi.

He retired in 2010 as a news editor in the same daily and later went on to work as a special correspondent and assistant editor in Hans India.

Besides journalism, Amarnath was a leading personality of working journalists’ union movement in the country for about 40 long years.

He fought for the profession of journalism, rights and welfare of journalists and the freedom of press.

The veteran journalist is known for his ‘never accept defeat’ attitude and made a mark in the Press Council of India (PCI), where he was a member for two terms, representing the Indian Journalists Union (IJU).

While heading a PCI committee on attacks against journalists, Amarnath extensively toured across the country and submitted detailed reports, making out a case for a separate statute for working journalists’ safety.

He also served as the president of AP Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) for one term in the undivided state, including serving as the secretary for three terms.

Several senior journalists from the Telugu states paid tributes to the departed journalist, including AP CM’s national media adviser Devulapalli Amar.