Former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, who launched socialist India on the path of free-market reforms in the 1990s, died on Thursday two weeks after suffering a heart attack. The 83-year-old had a history of heart ailments and was hospitalised on December 8. Two minutes' silence was observed in India's parliament which then adjourned. The cabinet announced seven days' official mourning and a state funeral was being arranged.
It was Rao who brought in the present prime minister, Manmohan Singh, a World Bank economist, to head the finance ministry in 1991 and transform the economy.
Apart from the historic economic turnaround, Rao's tenure was marred by the 1992 demolition of an ancient mosque in northern Ayodhya town by thousands of Hindus.
The event sparked bloodletting in which at least 2,000 people were killed.
Rao was blamed for inaction and failing to order the police to open fire to halt the attack on the 16th century Babri shrine.
He was a surprise choice as prime minister after the assassination of former premier Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 by suspected members of the Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebels.
During his premier-ship Rao was also faced with corruption charges including bribing MPs of a regional party to vote in favour of his minority government in 1993.
During his tenure, Rao presided over the worst-ever performance by the Congress in the 1996 parliamentary elections, paving the way for the rise of the BJP.
He stepped down after the defeat and wrote a novel based on his own life called "The Insider".
CONDOLENCE: President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Thursday expressed sorrow over the death of former Indian prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, the foreign ministry said.
"Mr Rao will be remembered for his endeavours towards improvement of relations between Pakistan and India," a ministry statement said.
"He was a distinguished writer and the people of India will miss them for his rich legacy," it said.
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