Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh passed away in New Delhi on Thursday night. He was 92. Dr Singh breathed his last at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.
He was admitted to the Emergency ward of AIIMS around 8 PM in a critical condition. The former Prime Minister had a sudden loss of consciousness at home yesterday evening. An AIIMS bulletin said, despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9.51 PM. Dr Singh had been in poor health for the last few months.
He is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters. Dr Singh, who was finance minister under the then prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, is considered the architect of economic reforms in 1991 that ushered in an era of economic liberalisation.
Dr. Manmohan Singh was prime minister for two terms in the Congress-led UPA government from 2004 to 2014.
He retired from the Rajya Sabha in April this year after serving for 33 years.
Born on 26th September 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, he served as India’s 13th Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014.
President, PM, others pay last respects
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid their last respects to the late former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at his residence in New Delhi today.
Later, in a video message, Mr. Modi said the nation is deeply saddened by the demise of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. The Prime Minister said his life is an example for future generations regarding how people can rise above struggles and achieve greater heights. Mr. Modi said Dr. Manmohan Singh will always be remembered as an honest man, a great economist, and a leader who dedicated himself to reforms.
The Prime Minister said that when Dr. Singh was Finance Minister in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna P.V. Narasimha Rao, he gave the country a new direction in terms of the economy, which was reeling under an economic crisis at that time.
Union Ministers Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, and Jyotiraditya Scindia, and former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, among other leaders, also visited the residence of the former Prime Minister and paid tributes to him.
Expressing his condolences, former President Ram Nath Kovind said Dr. Manmohan Singh was an example of politeness and an architect of the Indian economy.
Former Vice President Hamid Ansari said that Dr. Singh changed the policies, as a result of which the country saw rapid economic development. In a social media post, Mr. JP Nadda said, This is a moment of deep sorrow for the entire nation as the country mourns the loss of a leader whose humility, warmth, and grace touched countless lives. He added that his passing leaves an irreparable void in the political and economic spheres. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that an era of economic reforms has ended with the passing away of Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Another Union Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, said that the former Prime Minister gave a new direction to the country.
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said Dr. Manmohan Singh made India stand on the world platform in terms of the economy.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said he was an able economist who opened the economy. The Polit Bureau of CPI(M) also mourned the passing away of Dr. Manmohan Singh, saying that during his ten-year tenure as Prime Minister, he stood firmly for secular and democratic values and adopted policies that he believed were in the interests of the country.
NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar said Dr. Singh was one of the finest persons, known for his integrity and honesty, and a very good administrator. He added that Dr. Manmohan Singh restored India’s economy when it was in bad shape. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also recalled his fond memories with Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh also expressed its condolences on the passing away of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
7-Day National Mourning
The Union Government has declared a seven-day state mourning as a mark of respect to the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. During this period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout India and there will be no official entertainment.
A state funeral will be accorded to the departed dignitary. The National Flag will also fly half-mast on the day of the funeral in all Indian Missions and High Commission of India abroad. A meeting of the Union Cabinet is scheduled to be held today to pay tributes to the former Prime Minister.