Kejriwal Remembers Manmohan Singh on Birth Anniversary
Synopsis
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal marked Dr. Manmohan Singh's birth anniversary on September 26, honouring the former PM's legacy as the architect of India's landmark 1991 economic liberalisation and his decade as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014.
Key Takeaways
Arvind Kejriwal posted a tribute to Dr.
Manmohan Singh on his birth anniversary on September 26, 2026 .
Kejriwal described Singh as 'a visionary statesman and brilliant economist' remembered for 'historic financial reforms.' As Finance Minister in 1991 , Singh presented the Budget that dismantled the Licence Raj and launched India's market-oriented liberalisation.
Singh served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 , steering India through a period of strong growth and the 2008 global financial crisis .
Tributes to former prime ministers on birth anniversaries are a regular feature of Indian political discourse across party lines.
Thirty-five years after a single Union Budget rewired the Indian economy, the man who presented it is being remembered across the political spectrum. AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, September 26, paid tribute to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on his birth anniversary, calling him 'a visionary statesman and brilliant economist' whose historic financial reforms will endure in memory.
The 1991 moment that defined a legacy
When Dr. Manmohan Singh rose in Parliament on July 24, 1991 as Finance Minister in Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao's cabinet, India's foreign exchange reserves had dipped to barely two weeks of import cover. What followed was a Budget that dismantled the Licence Raj — the dense web of industrial permits and controls that had governed the economy for four decades — and set India on a path of market-oriented liberalisation. It remains one of the most consequential single policy interventions in modern Indian economic history.
Singh later served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, guiding India through a decade of strong GDP growth and the turbulence of the 2008 global financial crisis. His reputation as a technocrat of rare integrity travelled well beyond India's borders.
A tribute in a familiar political rhythm
Kejriwal's post follows a well-worn tradition in Indian public life: leaders across parties mark the birth and death anniversaries of former prime ministers with brief, dignified tributes that foreground policy legacy over partisan contest. The focus here on 'historic financial reforms' rather than on any specific governance critique keeps the message squarely in the register of national remembrance.
For the Aam Aadmi Party, which built its initial identity around governance quality and economic accountability, invoking Singh's reform credentials carries its own quiet resonance.
Point of View
The post aligns AAP's self-image as a party of competent, honest governance with the legacy of a technocrat widely seen as above political reproach. The brevity and bipartisan tone signal that this is solidarity in national memory rather than partisan positioning. It also keeps Singh's economic liberalisation legacy — frequently contested in contemporary debates about inequality and state capacity — on the side of achievement rather than critique.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Dr. Manmohan Singh's birth anniversary?
Dr. Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932 , and his birth anniversary falls on September 26 each year.
What were Manmohan Singh's most important contributions to India?
Singh's most enduring contribution was the 1991 economic liberalisation , which he initiated as Finance Minister, dismantling the Licence Raj and opening India to market forces. He also served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 .
Why did Arvind Kejriwal pay tribute to Manmohan Singh?
Arvind Kejriwal posted the tribute to mark Singh's birth anniversary, honouring him as 'a visionary statesman and brilliant economist' known for his historic financial reforms.
What was the Licence Raj in India?
The Licence Raj was a system of extensive industrial permits and controls that regulated Indian businesses for roughly four decades before the 1991 reforms under Finance Minister Manmohan Singh began dismantling it.
How long was Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister of India?
Dr. Manmohan Singh served as Prime Minister of India for ten years , from 2004 to 2014 , making him the first PM to serve two full consecutive terms since Jawaharlal Nehru .
