Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday night said Punjabi author Amrita Pritam, who died in New Delhi, had come out as a 'defiant rebel' through her writings which displayed a 'rare sensitivity and a remarkable grasp of burning social issues'.

Dr Singh said her death will be 'sorely felt by the vast legion of her admirers in the country'.

'Her demise has left behind a void that shall be hard to fill,' he said in a message.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said Pritam was a powerful litterateur and promoted communal harmony through her writings.

External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said the world of literature has lost a luminary in the death of Pritam.

'When I heard that she was having financial difficulties, arrangements were made. The chief minister of Punjab personally went to her and presented a cheque of Rs 15 lakhs,' he said.