India's top political leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were among those who paid homage to former prime minister Manmohan Singh at his residence in Delhi on Friday.
92-year-old Singh, hailed as the architect of postmodern India’s economic reforms, passed away late on Thursday at AIIMS Delhi due to age-related medical conditions. He had suddenly lost consciousness at home earlier that evening and was rushed to the hospital.
Singh is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Draped in tricolour, the body of the former prime Minister was placed in a flower-bedecked casket at his residence on Friday, where leaders cutting across party lines paid their last respects to the departed leader. Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and other family members were present.
The cremation of the former prime minister is scheduled for Saturday, as the family awaits the arrival of one of his daughters from the US. Until then, his mortal remains will remain at his New Delhi residence for the public to pay their respects.
On Saturday, his mortal remains will be moved to the Congress headquarters at 8 am, where party workers and the public can offer tributes from 8:30 am to 9:30 am. The final procession to the cremation ground will depart from the AICC headquarters at 9:30 am.
Dr Singh's last rites will be performed with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat, Delhi, at 11:45 am.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has requested to PM Modi to conduct the last rites at a place where a memorial can be built.
A Congress Working Committee meeting was held at the AICC headquarters this evening to pay homage to the former prime minister.
Earlier in the day, PM Nadrendra Modi paid tributes to the former prime minister at his residence. Modi described his predecessor's death as a big loss to the nation, asserting that his commitment to the people and the country's development would always be respected.
In a video message, Modi recalled Singh's life journey after his family's migration to India, leaving behind everything following Partition, as he noted that his numerous achievements since then were no mean feat.
Top Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, too paid their last respects to Singh. AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders were also present.
Taking to X, the Congress chief Kharge wrote, "Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji! With the passing of the Former Prime Minister, India has lost a visionary statesman, a leader of unimpeachable integrity, and an economist of unparalleled stature. His policy of Economic Liberalisation and Rights-based welfare paradigm profoundly transformed the lives of crores of Indians, virtually creating a Middle Class in India and lifting crores out of poverty."
"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... A man of action rather than words, his immense contribution to nation-building will forever be etched in the annals of Indian history," Kharge added.
In his condolence message, Rahul said, "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."
Priyanka Gandhi said, “Few people in politics inspire the kind of respect that Sardar Manmohan Singh ji 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 said that the former PM was “genuinely egalitarian, wise, strong-willed and courageous until the end. A uniquely dignified and gentle man in the rough world of politics.”
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, and BJP president JP Nadda also paid their tributes to Singh.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet also condoled Singh's passing and hailed him as an eminent statesman and a distinguished leader who left an imprint on national life.
During a meeting chaired by Modi, the Cabinet observed a two-minute silence in honour of the departed soul and adopted a Condolence Resolution in the memory of Singh.
"Dr Manmohan Singh has left his imprint on our national life. In his passing away, the Nation has lost an eminent statesman, renowned economist and a distinguished leader," the resolution read.
The government has announced a seven-day State mourning as a mark of respect to the former prime minister.
Singh, who steered the country for 10 years from 2004-2014 and helped set up the country's economic framework as finance minister before that, was a renowned name in the global financial and economic sectors.
Apart from being an economist, Singh served as Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982-1985. He was the 13th Prime Minister of India and was then 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.
Singh's UPA government introduced pathbreaking initiatives such as the Right to Information Act, Right to Education Act and the MNREGA.
He retired from the Rajya Sabha earlier this year after serving for 33 years.
Born to Gurmukh Singh and Amrit Kaur on September 26, 1932, in Gah village of the Punjab province of undivided India (now Pakistan), Singh passed his matriculation examination in 1948. After migrating to India, the Singh family settled in a small rented house in Amritsar till he graduated.
Singh's academic career took him from Punjab to the University of Cambridge, UK, where he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics. He followed this with a DPhil in economics from Nuffield College of Oxford University.
Singh's half-brother Surjit Singh Kohli said the former prime minister had deep affection for his grandmother, who raised him following his mother's death when he was very young.
His passing also witnessed people from various fields sharing their anecdotes about him.
Actor and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) alumna Swara Bhaskar recalled how the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) intervened to prevent the administration from acting against students who had displayed black flags at him during a campus event.
Uttar Pradesh minister Asim Arun, who served as Singh's close protection officer for nearly three years during his tenure as a Special Protection Group (SPG) officer, shared his experiences and insights into Singh's personality, emphasising his simple lifestyle and connection with the common man.
One anecdote Arun shared reflected Singh's simplicity -- his attachment to his personal car, a modest Maruti Suzuki 800. Despite having a fleet of high-security vehicles, including a luxurious BMW for official travel, Singh would often express his preference for the modest car.
