Bhubaneswar: Odisha mourned the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday. Odisha chief minister Mohan Majhi, leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, among several others in the state, expressed grief over his demise.
Majhi paid floral tributes to the former PM at Lok Seva Bhawan and remembered his contribution to the country. In a message, he stated that the former PM was a great son of the nation. He was respected worldwide for his knowledge and expertise in the field of economics.
“As finance minister, he gave a new direction to the country’s economy. Due to his liberal economic policies, India began its journey as a major global economy. As PM, he accelerated the country’s development in various sectors,” said Majhi.
Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, “He served the country illustriously in different capacities. The erudite and humble leader will be remembered as the architect of economic reforms which provided the foundation for the new India and brought positive changes in the lives of people. My thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and followers,” he added.
Pradhan, in his X post, said the former PM was an embodiment of simplicity, humility, and probity. He was among those rarest breed of politicians who served the country with distinction in several capacities.
Koraput Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka paid his last respects to former PM Manmohan Singh. “I had the privilege of working under his leadership in the AICC constituted committee on foreign affairs, where he served as chairperson. It was an honour to interact with him on multiple occasions,” he added.
Former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik said, “The passing of Singh, who presided over a decade of remarkable growth and progress, left a void in me and billions of Indians. Under his visionary leadership, India achieved its highest-ever growth rate,” he added.
Condolence meetings were conducted at several places, including Congress offices across the state on Friday. Intellectuals, politicians, and people from all walks of life condoled the death of Singh and posted condolence messages and photos on their social media handles.