NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet on Friday led the nation in paying tributes to former prime minister Manmohan Singh. The Cabinet, chaired by Modi, condoled the death of Singh, hailing him as an eminent statesman and renowned economist, who left an imprint on the national life. A seven-day state mourning was declared as a mark of respect.President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and PM Modi were among the first to pay homage to Singh at his residence in New Delhi. Modi described Singh’s demise a profound loss, recalling his journey from a Partition-era migrant to a global statesman. In a video message, Modi highlighted Singh’s significant contributions, including his pivotal role in India’s economic liberalisation as finance minister under PV Narasimha Rao and his tenure as a two-term PM, which shaped India’s development trajectory.Singh’s body, draped in the Tricolour, was brought to his residence, where leaders from across the political spectrum, including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi, paid their respects. Describing Singh’s death as a “personal loss”, Sonia Gandhi said he was her friend, philosopher and guide and that in his death, the party has lost a leader who was the epitome of wisdom, nobility and humility. “We in the Congress party and the people of India will forever be proud and grateful that we had a leader like Dr Manmohan Singh whose contributions to India’s progress and development are immeasurable,” she said.
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