In a condolence message, Shri Vajpayee said that Shri Balayogi, a democrat to the core, had always striven to uphold the highest democratic and parliamentary traditions. The Prime Minister said that Shri Balayogi’s untimely demise is a cruel blow to the Indian democracy in general, and the Parliament, in particular. Remembering his association with Shri Balayogi, the Prime Minister said that Shri Balayogi always came across as a soft spoken, unassuming and an affable person. Shri Balayogi had dedicated his life to the cause of the poor and the downtrodden and was a staunch advocate of rural development, Shri Vajpayee said.