FRIDAY 27 DECEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR POPCORN PARADOX SOUTH KOREAN OPPN SUBMITS MOTION TO IMPEACH ACTING PREZ P11 SENSEX 78,472.48q0.39 WEATHER Generally clear. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 28°C and 17°C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 71% Min. 53% Max: 28.2˚C SUN RISES 06:14 hrs MOON RISES 02:50 hrs Min: 17.3˚C SUN SETS 17:00 hrs MOON SETS 13:29 hrs TEMPERATURE New Moon on 31 December THUMBNAILS A view of Gurudwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib on the occasion of Veer Bal Diwas. n ANI AAP charge against Congress: The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were on a collision course with the AAP accusing its INDIA bloc partner of being hand-inglove with the BJP in Delhi and demanding action by the party leadership against Ajay Maken for calling former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal 'anti-national'. (Pg 5) NIFTY P6 23,750.20p22.55 BOXING DAY TEST: BATTERS HELP AUS DOMINATE OPENING DAY MALAYALAM FILM-MAKER MT VASUDEVAN NAIR PASSES AWAY ` vs $ 85.27 P4 GOLD 78,595.00 P16 SILVER 1,00,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 73.66p0.49 Manmohan Singh passes away The two-time Prime Minister and architect of India's economic reforms had been in poor health for the past few months STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 DECEMBER F ormer Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away here on Thursday. Singh, who had served as the Prime Minister during the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. The Congress veteran was brought to the AIIMS after his health condition deteriorated. In a statement, the AIIMS said: “With profound grief, we inform the demise of Former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, aged 92.” He was being treated for age-related medical conditions and had sudden loss of consciousness at home on Thursday, the premier institute said. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency at AIIMS, New Delhi at 8:06 pm. Despite all efforts, he “ 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... Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji and I interacted regularly when he was PM and I was the CM of Gujarat. We would have extensive deliberations on various subjects relating to governance. His wisdom and humility were always visible. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the family of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji, his friends and countless admirers. Om Shanti. Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 pm,” the AIIMS said. Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister for two terms in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2004 to 2014. He had been in poor health for the last few months. The former Prime Minister is survived by wife Gurcharan Singh and three daughters. Condoling the death of his predecessor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X wrote: "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." Singh was a towering figure, and in a remarkable journey, he rose from humble beginnings to the highest office, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s economic and political landscape. From 1971 to 1996, Manmohan Singh held virtually all the key positions in economic policymaking. In 1991, he became 22nd finance minister, and unleashed a series of economic reforms that laid the foundation of India’s future growth and development. He is primarily known for turning around the economic “ “ Profoundly stunned and saddened by the sudden demise of our former prime minister Manmohan Singh ji. I had worked with him and saw him from very close quarters in the Union cabinet. His erudition and wisdom were unquestionable, and the depth of the financial reforms ushered in by him in the country are widely acknowledged. The country will miss his stewardship and I shall miss his affection. Mamata Banerjee Few people in politics inspire the kind of respect Sardar Manmohan Singh ji did. His honesty will always be an inspiration for us and he will forever stand tall among those who truly love this country as someone who remained steadfast in his commitment to serve the nation despite being subjected to unfair and deeply personal attacks by his opponents. He was genuinely egalitarian, wise, strong-willed and courageous until the end. A uniquely dignified gentleman in the rough world of politics. “ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji! With the passing of the Former Prime Minister, India has lost a visionary statesman, a leader of unimpeachable integrity, and an economist of unparalleled stature... I mourn the loss of a lifelong senior colleague, a gentle intellectual and a humble soul who embodied the aspirations of India, having risen through the ranks with unwavering dedication. Mallikarjun Kharge history of Independent India between 1991 and 1996 as India's Finance Minister. Later, he became India’s 14th Prime Minister with an uninter- rupted tenure of 10 years (20042014), making him the country’s third-longest serving head of the Union government. (Obituary: Page 3)