Gandhinagar, (Gujarat) [India], December 27 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday cancelled all scheduled programs to honour nationwide mourning for former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, an official release said.
"The scheduled programs of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel for today have been cancelled as a mark of respect for the passing of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh late last night, and in observance of the nationwide mourning declared in his honour, all programs scheduled for Friday, December 27, have been cancelled," a release said.
Earlier in the day, CM Patel expressed his grief and remembered his significant contributions to the development of the country.
"The news of the demise of former Prime Minister of India, renowned economist Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, is extremely sad. While discharging various responsibilities, he made significant contributions to the development of the country. May God give peace to his soul and give strength to his family and supporters to bear this sorrow," he wrote in his post on X.
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 AIIMS Delhi.
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.
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 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.