Atal Bihari Vajpayee among tallest leaders of modern India: Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: Atal Bihari Vajpayee was among the tallest leaders of modern India who spent his whole life serving the country, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday while expressing profound sorrow at his predecessor's demise.

Describing Vajpayee as a great prime minister and an outstanding parliamentarian, the Congress leader said the former premier was an excellent orator and an impressive poet.

"I have learnt with profound sorrow about the sad demise of Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji. An excellent orator, an impressive poet, an exceptional Public Servant, an outstanding Parliamentarian and a great Prime Minister, Shri Vajpayee ji stood among the tallest leaders of modern India, who spent his whole life serving our great country. His services to our nation will be remembered for a long time to come," Singh said in his condolence statement.

Vajpayee, one of India's most charismatic leaders who led the nation through several crises and held together a tenuous coalition with his inclusive politics, died here Thursday. He was 93.

Vajpayee, a bachelor, is survived by his adopted daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya.

His death was announced by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital where he was admitted June 11 with a variety of ailments.