PM Modi condoles Manmohan Singh's death: 'One of India's most distinguished leaders'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday mourned the demise of ex-PM Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed away at the age of 92 in New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

“India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” the prime minister posted on X.

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“Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji and I interacted regularly when he was PM and I was the CM of Gujarat. We would have extensive deliberations on various subjects relating to governance. His wisdom and humility were always visible. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the family of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji, his friends and countless admirers. Om Shanti,” Modi added.

Manmohan Singh served as India's prime minister from 2004 to 2014, leading the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition. He had been in poor health for the last few months.

Singh was admitted to the AIIMS at around 8 pm. "Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to medical emergency at AIIMS Delhi at 8.06 pm. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9.51 pm," said the AIIMS bulletin.

Singh was the finance minister under the then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, was the architect and the brainchild of economic reforms in 1991 that pulled India from the brink of bankruptcy and ushered in an era of economic liberalisation.