"We lost a great economist": Akhilesh Yadav on passing of former PM Manmohan Singh

New Delhi [India], December 27 : Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday expressed grief over the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said that the country has lost a great economist.
Speaking to the media, Yadav said, "We lost a great economist in the world. As a Finance Minister and PM, he made India stand on the world platform in terms of economy. He came from a normal family and achieved the highest position."
He also paid his last respects to Dr Singh at his residence in New Delhi.
Congress leader Pawan Bansal, who served in the Manmohan Singh cabinet, recounted his experience of working with the former Prime Minister.
Bansal said, "As Finance Minister he opened up and liberalised our economy at a time when we had foreign exchange for 10-15 days. He changed the picture of the country. He gave the Right to Information and the Right to Education and also brought the Food Security Act. He had initiated the work for the Aadhaar card during his tenure. He also brought a law for compensation to farmers for land bought by the government. In Cabinet meetings, he used to work by building consensus. He used to speak less but his words had weight. He was a 'karma-yogi and 'yug-purush."
"I served as MoS Finance in his first tenure...Later, I worked as a Union Parliamentary Affairs minister in his cabinet. He also gave me change to work as Railways minister...When Barack Obama visited India, he said that if there were even five leaders like Dr Manmohan Singh in the world then the world would change," the Congress leader added.
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.
The mortal remains of the former PM will be kept at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi for public viewing.
As per the Congress party sources, the 'last darshan' will be scheduled for Saturday between 8:00 to 10:00 in the morning.
All the party leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi will pay tribute to the former PM at the AICC office after which the last rites will be carried out.
Singh, renowned for introducing the 1991 economic liberalisation reforms as the Finance Minister of India, will be cremated near Rajghat, at the location where the last rites of Prime Ministers are performed.