Manmohan Singh was against corruption: Hazare

Mumbai, Dec 27 (PTI) Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on Friday condoled the death of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and said he always prioritised the welfare of the country and society.

“Those who are born have to die, but some leave memories and their legacy behind. Singh gave a new direction to the country’s economy,” Hazare told PTI in his native village in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district.

Hazare recalled his agitation against corruption during Singh’s tenure in the early 2010s. The former PM invited him for talks and took quick decisions, said the octogenarian activist.

“He was against corruption and took immediate decisions concerning the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act. He always thought about the country and how best he could work for its people,” Hazare said.

Singh, who was the PM from 2004 to 2014, gave a new direction to the country’s economy and brought it on the path of development, said the activist.

“Manmohan Singh has left the world in physical form but will always remain in (people’s) memories,” he added.

Singh, who was instrumental in making India an economic powerhouse, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Thursday night. He was 92.