Senior Congress leaders condole death of former PM Manmohan Singh

Belagavi: Senior Congress leaders on Friday condoled the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said his contributions to the nation will be remembered for a very long time.

Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, died in New Delhi on Thursday night. He was 92.

Senior leaders of the party who were here in Belagavi to attend the Congress convention were leaving for Delhi after the convention was cancelled following the demise of Singh.

The convention was organised to commemorate the centenary of the lone Congress convention in Belagavi, which was chaired by Mahatma Gandhi on December 26 and 27 in 1924.

Speaking to media at Belagavi Airport here, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari expressed sadness over the demise of Singh and recalled that they were neighbours in Punjab University, Chandigarh.

"He (Singh) knew me almost from the day I opened my eyes in this world. I had the privilege of serving as the Union Minister for Information and Boardcasting in his government. A gentle soul, a great intellectual, a person with very firm convictions," he said.

Tewari said Singh opened the doors of the Indian economy to millions and millions of young people with the economic liberalisation of 1991.

"I pay my heartfelt tribute to him. May he rest in peace and all of us will continue to draw inspiration from him," he said.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot too offered condolences to Singh's family and said he remembered him as a person who always placed his nation first.

"Manmohan Singh was a great son of India. As Prime Minister, as Finance Minister, as Governor of the RBI, his contributions will be remembered for a very long time. I had the great pleasure and honour for working in his cabinet and he was someone who put nation first," he told reporters here.

He said all the reforms Singh made for the country will be remembered for a very long time. His most endearing qualities were honesty, humility and credibility.

"With great sadness, we have received the news of his demise and I offer condolences to his family, his admirers, to his supporters in India and all across the world. I hope in the time to come, India will be able to follow the path that he showed us," Pilot added.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed sadness over the demise of Singh and recalled he had known him for many years since the time he was working in the United Nations.

"After he (Singh) became the prime minister, we shared a very close relationship. He was the one who brought me to politics along with Sonia Gandhi. It's very sad that he has left us," he said.

Tharoor recalled how Singh handled the economic crisis of the country with his reforms and said even while others countries were suffering, India under the leadership of Singh was doing good.

Crediting the former prime minister for bringing so many good changes for the betterment of the nation, he remembered Singh as a humble man with a big heart, who worked with great compassion.

Apart from Tewari, Tharoor and Pilot, several Congress leaders were seen at the airport rushing back to Delhi.