Manmohan Singh death: Govt to declare 7-day national mourning

The Union Government is set to declare a national mourning period of seven days after the passing away of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Thursday.Dr Manmohan Singh’s last rites will be conducted with full state honours.Several top personalities condoled Dr. Singh’s demise, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and many more.While PM Modi called Manmohan Singh one of the most distinguished leaders of the country, Kharge referenced a quote from the former prime minister’s last press conference in the office. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said that he had “lost a mentor”.Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency at AIIMS, New Delhi at 8:06 PM. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 PM,” the AIIMS said in a statement.Singh is survived by his wife Gurcharan Singh and three daughters.Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her mother Sonia Gandhi reached the hospital as soon as the news of his hospitalisation became known.Singh, who also held the Finance portfolio in his early political days, played a key role in ushering in economic reforms in the 1990s. He has left behind a legacy of political and economic achievements.A celebrated economist across the globe, Dr Manmohan Singh entered politics at the height of the 1991 economic crisis when late Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao inducted him into the government as finance minister.Together, both the leaders steered the economy out of the balance of payments crisis and laid the foundation for the economic reforms that have been upheld by every successive government since.He served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014.