He was my friend, philosopher, and guide: Sonia Gandhi remembers Manmohan Singh in an emotional post

In a deeply emotional statement released by the Congress on Friday evening, Sonia Gandhi hailed Manmohan Singh as "the epitome of wisdom, nobility, and humility".

"In Dr Manmohan Singh's passing, we have lost a leader who was the epitome of wisdom, nobility and humility, who served our country with all his heart and mind. A luminous and beloved guiding light for the Congress party, his compassion and vision transformed and empowered the lives of millions of Indians," Sonia wrote.

She said that his death came as a personal loss.

"He was my friend, philosopher, and guide. He was so gentle in his manner but so resolute in his deeply-held convictions. His commitment to social justice, secularism, and democratic values was deep and unwavering. To spend any time with him was to come away enlightened by his knowledge and sagacity, moved by his honesty and integrity, and awed by his genuine humility," she said.

The former UPA Chairperson said that the death of Manmohan Singh "leaves a void in our national life that can never be filled."

"We in the Congress Party, and the people of India will forever be proud and grateful that we had a leader like Dr Manmohan Singh whose contributions to India's progress and development are immeasurable," she said.

Ending an era in the Indian political paradigm, Manmohan Singh, who served as the Indian PM for two terms, died on Thursday. He was 92.

Manmohan Singh rose to prominence as the country's finance minister during the Congress regime headed by PV Narasimha Rao during 1991-96, for bringing sweeping reforms that transformed the economy.

As the two-term UPA Prime Minister, he stayed at the top post from 2004 to 2014 and served as a member of the Rajya Sabha till early this year. He retired from the Rajya Sabha in April.