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Retired IAS officer PVRK Prasad, media advisor to P V Narasimha Rao, passes away
P V R K Prasad had claimed in a book that Narasimha Rao had planned to construct Ram Mandir in place of Babri Masjid.
Retired IAS officer P V R K Prasad, who served as information advisor to former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao between 1991 and 1996, passed away early Monday.
He was 77 and is survived by his wife, son and daughter. Prasad, who suffered a heart attack on Saturday was admitted to a hospital in Banjara Hills, where he breathed his last at around 2 am.
An IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, Prasad held several important positions in the state before moving to the Centre on deputation as additional secretary to the Prime Minister. After his retirement, he wrote a book – Asalemi Jarigindante (What Happened Actually) on his tenure as media advisor to P V Narasimha Rao, especially with regard to the developments leading to Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. The book, published in 2010, created a sensation with Prasad claiming that Rao himself had planned to construct a Ram temple in place of Babri Masjid to avoid further controversies.
The most important assignment Prasad had held was that of Executive Officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the country’s richest temple. He introduced several reforms and projects in the TTD functioning between 1978 and 82. He also earned a lot of respect as the chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust.
Prasad was lately involved in spreading spirituality in his capacity as chairman of Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust (HDPT). He continued to be an advisor to the TTD till his death.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao and others expressed condolences over Prasad’s death.
