Manmohan Singh to get farewells on his Last Day at Work

India’s 13th Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is attending his last day at work today. He is going to chair his last cabinet meeting as well as he will get farewells from his staffs and colleagues.

Manmohan Singh will also host a farewell for his officers at 7, RCR in the evening. He needs to vacate his official residence soon after the election results announced on Friday.

UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi will host a farewell dinner for Dr. Singh tomorrow in which in he will be thanked by the party members for completing 10-year government.

Dr. Singh is expected to clear Foreign Direct Investment in the pharma sector before he leaves the office today.

The 81-year-old who is frequently called as the ‘accidental prime minister’ will now serve his responsibility as a Rajya Sabha member. Dr. Singh’s second term in the UPA 2 has been described as the disaster and non-functional. Especially the last two years his government faces serious crisis of credibility, leadership, image and corruption. His inefficiency to curb the corruption by his colleagues, push for economic reforms and lack of governance made him ‘underachieved’ prime minister. He voted back to power with unprecedented numbers but still his authority was undermined by his colleagues and party at large. Many critics have called him ‘weakest’ prime minister as he never voiced his own opinions and his actions were severely controlled by Gandhi family.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Tuesday has praised Manmohan Singh, calling him a “man of scholarship” but said that the former Finance Minister was never a good leader.

“He (Manmohan Singh) was literally a Prime Minister announced by Sonia ji. He had to function within that limitation. When he addressed the country, he never came out as a leader. The reason for not coming out as a leader was clear. He never wanted to rock the boat. He knew that he was vested with limited power and on all major decisions he had to keep the party and its first family in good humor,” ,” Jaitley wrote.

“On discussion over serious subject, PM came out as a man of scholarship. He was what we call as a ‘syana aadmi’. His personal integrity was always above board,” he added.

• About the Author

About Sprightly Spirit

“I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares more is none”. And all, may be. It may be the vigor. Or the spirit. Or the courage to avoid being “politically correct” or bent. And, ban all averse with immaculate overture of graciously fathomable words firm in views. Subtle. Justifying the undying conscience. Values. Knowledge. And, dares to stay true. True to own. True to the world. And, to the words. With a dream in eyes it exists. In you. In me. In all. The sprite that never shies away. The spirit that never dies!