New Delhi:
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal paid his final respects to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and extended condolences to his family on Friday.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Arvind Kejriwal said, “Paid my last respects to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh ji. Met his family during this solemn moment and extended my condolences to them. Dr Singh was a visionary leader whose economic reforms shaped modern India and whose humility touched countless lives.”
“The demise of former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh is an irreparable loss for the country. It is impossible to put his qualities of wisdom and simplicity into words. May God grant the noble soul a place in his lotus feet. My condolences to his family and well-wishers. Om Shanti,” Arvind Kejriwal wrote in his post.
On Thursday, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh expressed his grief over the demise of the former Prime Minister, describing his death as a major ‘setback’ for the nation. He described Dr Singh as a great economist and an honest leader.
Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Singh stated, “This nation will remember Manmohan Singh ji as a great economist and honest Prime Minister. This is a big setback for the nation. He played a very important role in taking forward the economy of the country…I pay tribute to him on behalf of my party and Arvind Kejriwal.”
The body of the former PM will be kept at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi for public viewing. As per the Congress party sources, the ‘last darshan’ would be scheduled for Saturday between 8:00 to 10:00 in the morning.
Manmohan Singh, renowned for introducing the 1991 economic liberalisation reforms as the Finance Minister of India, will be cremated near Rajghat, at the location where the last rites of Prime Ministers are performed.
Several politicians and personalities from all walks of life have been expressing their sorrow over the demise of former PM Manmohan Singh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a condolence message on Thursday night, described Singh as one of India’s most distinguished leaders.
Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the AIIMS Delhi.
Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932. Apart from being an economist, he served as the Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982-1985. Manmohan Singh was the 13th PM of India with his tenure from 2004-2014.
He spent five years between 1991 and 1996 as India’s Finance Minister and his role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is recognised worldwide. In the popular view of those years in India, that period is inextricably associated with the persona of Dr Singh.
Serving as the finance minister of India in PV Narasimha Rao’s government, Singh has been given credit for economic liberalisation in the country in 1991. The reforms made the Indian economy more accessible to foreign investors, which increased FDI and reduced government control. It greatly contributed to the country’s economic growth.
Manmohan Singh’s government also introduced the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), which later came to be known as MGNREGA.
The Right to Information Act (RTI) was passed in 2005 under the Manmohan Singh government, which made the transparency of information between the government and the public better.
Singh retired from the Rajya Sabha earlier this year after serving for 33 years.
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