New Delhi, Sep 3 - Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar Thursday expressed 'deep shock and profound grief at the sad demise' of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who was killed in a helicopter crash.

'In Reddy's passing away, the country has lost a towering personality who, till his last breath, struggled hard to safeguard the rights of the poor and the underprivileged and facilitated all-round development of Andhra Pradesh,' Meira Kumar said, expressing her 'heart-felt condolences' to the bereaved family.

'Reddy was an eminent parliamentarian, an able administrator and a charismatic mass leader who carved out for himself a niche in the political spectrum at the national as well as state level by his exemplary devotion and dedication to the issues ranging from inclusive growth to establishing a socially equalitarian society,' she said.

The Lok Sabha speaker also expressed her condolences on the death of Special Secretary S. Subramaniam, Chief Security Officer A.S. Wesley and two pilots, Group Captain S.K. Bhatia and Captain M.S. Reddy, who were also killed in the helicopter crash.