The Congress on Tuesday used Manmohan Singh’s retirement from the Rajya Sabha as an opportunity to draw the nation’s attention to the dignity of the Prime Minister’s office, ethical politics and economic prudence that can alleviate poverty and boost growth.

Making a subtle comparison with his successor Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote in a letter to Manmohan: “The nation misses the quiet yet strong dignity that you brought to the office of the Prime Minister. Parliament will now miss your wisdom and experience. Your dignified, measured, soft-spoken yet statesman-like words are in contrast to the loud voices filled with lies that signify the current politics.”

Kharge added: “The current political situation is such that unscrupulousness is being equated with astute leadership. I still recall your speech on demonetisation which you termed as ‘organised loot and legalised plunder’, which has proved to be a grim reality. You showed it is possible to criticise without getting personal. The nation and the people will soon see through the lies of the current government. Just like how the sun and the moon can never be hidden, the truth can also never be hidden. People will realise the import of your words soon.”

Arguing that the economic prosperity and stability that India enjoys today are built on the foundations laid by him along with P.V. Narasimha Rao, Kharge lamented that the current set of leaders who have reaped the benefits of his work are reluctant to give credit due to political biases. “You have shown that it is possible to pursue economic policies that were equally beneficial to large industries, young entrepreneurs, small businesses, the salaried class and the poor. It was you who showed that even the poor can participate in the nation’s growth and be lifted out of poverty,” Kharge wrote.

He said: “Thanks to your policies, India was able to lift 27 crore people, the highest number of poor people, out of poverty in the world while you were the Prime Minister. The MGNREGA scheme launched under your government continues to provide relief to the rural workers during times of crisis. Whatever little reforms done by the current government has its seeds in the work initiated in the UPA government headed by you. The work initiated by your government to ensure direct transfer of benefits to individual beneficiaries by creating zero balance accounts, unique identification of the beneficiary through Aadhaar was hijacked by the succeeding government without giving you credit.”