Dr Manmohan Singh leaves void in our national life that can never be filled: Sonia Gandhi

As India mourns the loss of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi paid tribute in an official statement by saying that he was respected, admired by leaders, scholars world over and the death leaves a void in the national life that can never be filled.

"In Dr Manmohan Singh's passing, we have lost a leader who was the epitome of wisdom, nobility and humility, who served our country with all his heart and mind. A luminous and beloved guiding light for the Congress party, his compassion and vision transformed and empowered the lives of millions of Indians. He was loved by the people of India for his pure heart and fine mind," said the veteran leader in her statement.

Gandhi further said that Singh's advice, wise counsel and views were eagerly sought and deeply valued across the political spectrum in India. "Dr Manmohan Singh brought brilliance and distinction to every high office that he held. And he brought pride and honour to India," said Gandhi.

"For me, Dr Manmohan Singh's death is a deeply personal loss. He was my friend, philosopher and guide. He was so gentle in his manner but so resolute in his deeply held convictions. His commitment to social justice, secularism and democratic values was deep and unwavering," added Gandhi in her statement.

" To spend any time with him, was to come away enlightened by his knowledge and sagacity, moved by his honesty and integrity, and awed by his genuine humility. He leaves a void in our national life that can never be filled. 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," said Sonia Gandhi.

Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening 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 AIIMS Delhi.

Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932. Apart from being an economist, Manmohan Singh served as Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982-1985. He was the 13th PM of India with his tenure from 2004-2014.

He spent five years between 1991 and 1996 as India's Finance Minister and his role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is recognized worldwide. In the popular view of those years in India, that period is inextricably associated with the persona of Dr Singh.

Manmohan Singh's government also introduced the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), which later came to be known as MGNREGA.

The Right to Information Act (RTI) was passed in 2005 under the Manmohan Singh government, which made the transparency of information between the government and the public better.

He retired from the Rajya Sabha earlier this year after serving for 33 years.