Allies, rivals, global leaders pay homage to Manmohan

In July 2008, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rose in Parliament to defend his embattled government in the face of a no-confidence motion.

"Whatever I have done in this high office, I have done so with a clear conscience and the best interests of my country and our people at heart," he said. The motion fell, and Singh completed two full terms in office.

Sixteen years later, political and ideological boundaries collapsed as leaders united in tribute to Singh.

Allies, opponents, world leaders, intellectuals, sportspersons and millions of common Indians paid homage to the two-time prime minister and former finance minister on Friday, hailing him as a "visionary" and an "outstanding statesman".

Flags flew at half-mast across the national capital on a gloomy, overcast day and scores poured into Singh's 3, Motilal Nehru Road residence, where his body was kept in state.

His wife Gursharan Kaur and other family members stood by his body, which was draped in the Tricolour, as people of all hues, including President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi paid their last respects.

Sonia Gandhi, who heads the Congress Parliamentary Party, called him her "friend, philosopher and guide".

"A luminous and beloved guiding light for the Congress party, his compassion and vision transformed and empowered the lives of millions of Indians," she said.

Several, including Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, left notes in a condolence book in the drawing room of his house, where he spent the final decade of his life after moving out of the official prime minister's residence in 2014.

Tributes also poured in from across the globe, as former presidents, prime ministers and diplomats recollected their interactions with the soft-spoken economist, who died aged 92 of age-related ailments.