Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh to retire from Rajya Sabha today
The 33-year parliamentary innings of former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh will end today (April 3). 91-year-old Dr. Singh, considered the ‘initiator’ of ‘economic reforms’, became a member of the Rajya Sabha for the first time in October 1991. He was the Finance Minister in the government of Bharat Ratna P. V. Narasimha Rao from 1991 to 1996 and the Prime Minister of the country from 2004 to 2014. In his place, Sonia Gandhi will now enter the Upper House from Rajasthan for the first time.
Mallikarjun Kharge’s letter to Manmohan Singh
On this occasion, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote a letter to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said, ‘After serving for more than three decades, today when you are retiring from the Rajya Sabha, it is the end of an era. Is. I remember President Obama mentioned about you that whenever the Indian Prime Minister speaks, the whole world listens to him. Personally, it is a privilege for me to be a part of your cabinet. Over the past 10 years you have always been a source of wisdom and someone whose advice I value. Over the years, you have made sure to remain available to the Congress Party despite personal inconveniences. The party and I will always be grateful for this.’
Kharge further wrote, ‘You have shown that it is possible to pursue economic policies that are equally beneficial for big industries, young entrepreneurs, small businesses, the salaried class and the poor. It was you who showed that even the poor can participate in the development of the country and come out of poverty. Thanks to your policies, during your tenure as Prime Minister, India was able to lift 27 crore people out of poverty, the largest number of poor in the world. The MNREGA scheme launched by your government continues to provide relief to rural workers in times of crisis. The country and especially the rural poor will always remember you for the fact that they can earn livelihood and live with self-respect through this scheme.’
