After playing a significant role in Indian political history, former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh will reportedly retire from public life now, Hindustan Times report said citing sources.
The frail health of Manmohan Singh, 91, is the key reason why he would want to say goodbye to his political career. Notably, the veteran Congress leader was rarely seen in the Parliament in the past few years. Singh did not attend a single Budget session this year. He was last seen only for a day in the Rajya Sabha. Manmohan Sigh has been a member of the Upper House of the Parliament (Rajya Sabha) since 1991.
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According to an HT report, citing an aide of the former Prime Minister, “He is mentally well, but finds it difficult to move”.
“His return to the Rajya Sabha is out of the question,” the aide said. “As a wheelchair user, he needs more than one person to accompany him when he attends the House,’’ the aide told Hindustan Times, adding that the layout of the new Parliament and security concerns also made his attendance tricky.
Manmohan Singh’s term as Rajya Sabha member will end in April this year.
On Thursday, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the “immense contribution” of Manmohan Singh.
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“I wish to remember Dr Manmohan Singh today, his contribution in the House, with his invaluable thoughts, both as a leader and in the opposition has been immense. For such a long time, the way he has guided this House and country, Dr Manmohan Singh will always be remembered for it,” PM Modi said during his speech in the upper house.
In his speech in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi praised former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s commitment to his duties as a parliamentarian. “It doesn’t matter who he was supporting, I believe that he was supporting our democracy,” PM Modi said.
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The HT report stated that Manmohan Singh had informed the Congress that he wanted to give up his Rajya Sabha membership around a year ago.
As per the Rajya Sabha website, Manmohan Singh delivered his last speech in the Upper House in 2019, when he raised concerns about foreigners being held at a detention centre in Silchar in Assam.
Manmohan SIngh’s exit will mark an end of public service that started in 1971 as an economic advisor in (what was then known as) the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
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In his more than five decades of political career, Manmohan Singh has served as chief economic advisor, governor of the Reserve Bank of India, finance secretary, University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman, and then finance minister and eventually two-term prime minister.
Manmohan Singh has always been credited with ushering in liberalisation in 1991 as finance minister and safeguarding the country from the 2008 financial crisis as PM.
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Published: 09 Feb 2024, 11:22 AM IST