Congress leader M Veerappa Moily calls former PM Manmohan Singh ‘champion of peace’

NEW DELHI: Condoling the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Dr M Veerappa Moily on Saturday called him “champion of peace” and said that he was one of the greatest prime ministers India has seen.

Praising the former PM, Moily said that there were no major conflicts between India and neighbouring countries during his regime and even former US President Barack Obama took advise from him when banks were collapsing in the US.

“He is the greatest prime minister this country has seen… He was invested in the Constitution of India… He lifted millions of people out of poverty. He eradicated the License Raj and lifted the economy of this country… He was a champion of peace… During his regime as Prime Minister, there were no major conflicts between India and neighbouring countries. US President Barack Obama mentioned that when banks were collapsing in the US, Manmohan Singh gave the solution to prevent bankruptcy…” Moily told ANI.

Congress MP from Telangana, Vamsi Gaddam, who is also the grandson of Kaka Venkatswamy Garu, recalled how his grandfather worked closely with Manmohan Singh.

#WATCH | Delhi | On the demise of former PM #DrManmohanSingh, Congress leader Dr M Veerappa Moily says, “He is the greatest prime minister this country has seen… He was invested in the Constitution of India… He lifted millions of people out of poverty. He irradicated the… pic.twitter.com/N4BOsmecDd

— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024

Speaking to ANI, Gaddam said, “I am the grandson of Kaka Venkatswamy Garu, who worked closely with Manmohan Singh… Manmohan Singh gave a special loan waiver of Rs 10,000 crores to Ramagundam Fertiliser Corporation which was under heavy loans… All of us know about the 1990s reforms he did when India was in a difficult situation financially… Everybody talks about how silent he was, but everybody should also know how effective he was in decision-making. He was an aggressive leader… As a Finance Minister, he took immediate action to improve the Indian economy against the Licence Raj. Today is a sad day for all of us. Today I am going to pay my respects to him on behalf of my family…” The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi today.

Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital.

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, 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)