"Today is a sad day not only for India, but for the World": Manish Tewari mourns former PM Manmohan Singh's demise

Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "Today is a very poignant moment. A very fine person, a renowned economist, a world statesperson is not with us today. It is a sad day not only for India but for the world. He lived a very noble and simple life. May his soul rest in peace."

Congress leader Mumtaz Patel also paid tribute to him saying, today, India lost a great man.

Speaking to ANI, Mumtaz Patel said, "Today, India has lost a great man. He was not just a good leader but also a very good human being. People called him a weak Prime Minister but it was wrong. He always worked for the country, he was a strong and kind person."

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that the BJP-led central government should have come forward and announced that a memorial would be made for Manmohan Singh, just like Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said, "The Central Govt should have come forward and announced that a memorial would be made for him, just like Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister for 10 years."

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Yadav paid tribute to former him saying, that the country will never see a politician like him again.

Being asked about the demand to build a memorial for the late PM, the former Bihar Chief Minister said, "he should get it."

"The country will never get a politician like Dr Manmohan Singh. I was a part of his Council of Ministers. I was very close to him," he added.

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by Congress on X.

"I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter.

Kharge further said that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it.

Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy.

After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)