In his last press conference as Prime Minister on January 3, 2014, Dr Manmohan Singh made a remark that has made the rounds on social media multiple times over the past decade.
In that press conference, NDTV’s Sunil Prabhu had asked Dr Singh about his inability to rein in his ministers and his refusal to act in several situations. Responding to this, Dr Singh had said with a smile, “I honestly believe history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media or for that matter, the Opposition parties in Parliament.”
“I cannot divulge all the things that take place in the cabinet system of government. I think taking into account the circumstances and the compulsions of a coalition polity, I have done as best as I could do under the circumstances,” he had added.
At the time, the UPA-II government was reeling under allegations of corruption in several of its ministries, a key reason behind the Congress’s rout in the 2014 general election and the Narendra Modi-led BJP’s ascent to power.
The 92-year-old former Prime Minister breathed his last on Thursday. He had been keeping unwell for a while. The AIIMS said in a statement that Dr Singh was under treatment for age-related conditions. Today, he lost consciousness at home. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency at AIIMS at 8.06 PM. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9.51 PM,” the hospital said.
Before heading the Executive as Prime Minister, Dr Singh served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and oversaw India’s economic reforms under the PV Narasimha Rao government as Finance Minister.
Mourning his predecessor in the top post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders.
“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,” Prime Minister Modi said in a post on X.