Tributes pour as former PM Manmohan Singh passes away at 92: ‘History shall…’

Several top personalities condoled Dr. Singh’s demise, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away in Delhi on Thursday. He was 92.

FILE - Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, center, gestures after a short meeting with the newly elected office bearers of "National Students' Union Of India" (NSUI), who called on him at his residence in New Delhi in 2015 (AP)

Several top personalities condoled Dr. Singh’s demise, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and many more.

While PM Modi called Manmohan Singh one of the most distinguished leaders of the country, Kharge referenced a quote from the former Prime Minister's last press conference in the office.

“Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji!” Kharge wrote in a post on X.

“I mourn the loss of a lifelong senior colleague, a gentle intellectual and a humble soul who embodied the aspirations of India, having risen through the ranks with unwavering dedication,” Kharge wrote.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that few people in politics inspire the kind of respect that Manmohan Singh did.

“His honesty will always be an inspiration for us and he will forever stand tall among those who truly love this country as someone who remained steadfast in his commitment to serve the nation despite being subjected to unfair and deeply personal attacks by his opponents,” she continued in her post.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that he had lost a mentor.

“Manmohan Singh Ji led India with immense wisdom and integrity. His humility and deep understanding of economics inspired the nation. My heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Kaur and the family. I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” he wrote in a post on X.

P Chidambaram, who served as Finance Minister under Dr Singh, said that it was a deeply emotional moment for him to speak.

'The life and work of Dr Manmohan Singh and the period from 1991 till 2014 will be a golden chapter in the history of India. I worked closely with him for many years. I have not met a person more humble and self-effacing than Dr Singh. He wore his scholarship lightly and never claimed credit for any of his historic achievements," he wrote.

Union health minister, JP Nadda, posted on the micro-blogging site X, “The passing of Former Prime Minister and Economist Shri Manmohan Singh ji is an immense loss for the nation. A visionary statesman and a stalwart of Indian politics, throughout his remarkable career in public service, he consistently voiced for the welfare of the downtrodden. His leadership earned admiration and respect across party lines. Shri Manmohan Singh ji’s legacy will continue to inspire generations in their pursuit of nation-building. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and admirers.”

PK Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, remembered his days with Manmohan Singh when the ex-PM was teaching at the Delhi School of Economics.

“We have lost a very distinguished leader, an eminent economist and a great human being, with the passing away of Dr. Manmohan Singh. My memories of Dr. Manmohan Singh date back to the time when he was teaching at the Delhi School of Economics. I was in my M.A., first year those days. Seeing him among the stalwart professors in that era was reassuring for a student like me, having come from Sambalpur district in Western Odisha,” Mishra said in a statement.

Dr Manmohan Singh served as prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014.

Manmohan Singh was undergoing treatment at AIIMS Delhi

Manmohan Singh was admitted to the emergency ward of Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at around 8 pm on Thursday. The veteran Congress leader retired from the Rajya Sabha in April after 33-year-long stint in the Upper House.

Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency at AIIMS, New Delhi at 8:06 PM. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 PM,” the AIIMS said in a statement.

Singh is survived by his wife Gurcharan Singh and three daughters.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her mother Sonia Gandhi reached the hospital as soon as the news of his hospitalisation became known.