Belagavi (Karnataka) [India], December 27 : Several Congress leaders expressed their sorrow and grief over the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday.
They praised his contributions and his service to the nation, terming his demise a 'huge' loss for India.
In a self-made video, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said, "It's a huge loss for India. Dr. Manmohan Singh reformed India's economic story as the finance minister, the opposition leader, and the prime minister of India. He always thought about India's progress. He served Mother India well. We will all miss Dr. Sahab. He stood for India, served India, and the crores of the middle class..."
In a post on X, Congress MP for Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor, referring to Singh's earlier statement, said, "I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the opposition parties in Parliament," Dr. Manmohan Singh said in 2014. Just ten years later, he is already being proven right."
Earlier, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal described the demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh as a "painful loss" for the nation.
Venugopal informed that all the programs of the Congress have been cancelled for seven days, including the Congress Foundation Day scheduled to be held on December 28.
"Dr. Manmohan Singh was the real icon of the Congress and the country. A post-independence hero. His mission and ability to govern the country were witnessed by everyone, he said.
Senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, visited Dr. Singh's residence. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi returned to Delhi from Karnataka's Belagavi to pay their respects.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and leaders across the political spectrum condoled Manmohan Singh's death.
Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening at the age of 92 due to age-related health conditions. He reportedly suffered a sudden loss of consciousness at home before being rushed to AIIMS.
Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932. Apart from being an economist, Manmohan Singh served as Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982-1985. He was the 13th PM of India with his tenure from 2004-2014 and was the longest-serving PM after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
Serving as the finance minister of India in PV Narsimha 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.
Dr. Manmohan Singh retired from the Rajya Sabha earlier this year after serving for 33 years.