Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to Manmohan Singh on his birth anniversary

Manmohan Singh died in December last year.

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party Chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday paid homage to former prime minister Manmohan Singh on his birth anniversary.

They remembered him as a man of humility and wisdom, and for his historic contribution to building a strong economy.

In a post on X, Kharge said they remember the contribution of Singh in nation-building. He was a gentle architect of India's economic transformation.

"A man of humility and wisdom, he carried himself with quiet dignity, letting his actions speak louder than his words. His vision of economic reforms opened new doors of opportunity, creating a thriving middle class and lifting countless families out of poverty," the Congress chief said.

He said Singh believed deeply in fairness and inclusivity, ensuring that growth went hand in hand with compassion through welfare measures that touched the lives of millions.

His leadership showed us that integrity in public life is not just possible, but powerful, Kharge noted in his post.

"For generations of Indians, he will remain an enduring symbol of honesty, intellect, and selfless service to the nation. His legacy will live on in the aspirations of a stronger, more inclusive India. Our humble homage on his birth anniversary," Kharge said.

Rahul Gandhi, in a separate post on X, said on the birth anniversary of former prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, he pays his humble respects to him.

"His unwavering commitment to nation-building, his bold decisions for the poor and marginalised, and his historic contribution to building a strong economy will continue to guide us," Gandhi said in his post.

"His simplicity, humility, and honesty are a source of inspiration for all of us," Gandhi added.

Singh was the country's prime minister from 2004 to 2014, when he headed the Congress-led UPA government and was considered the architect of economic reforms in the country.

Singh was the finance minister in the P V Narasimha Rao government between 1991 and 1996, during whose tenure large-scale economic reforms were initiated and the state's control on the economy was loosened.

Born in 1932 in Gah of Punjab, now in Pakistan, Singh rose from a humble background to become a distinguished economist and entered public life later.