Modi greets Manmohan on his birthday

The leader India truly deserves, the Congress party says in its greetings

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted his predecessor Manmohan Singh on his birthday on Sunday, wishing him a long and healthy life.

Dr. Singh, who headed the United Progressive Alliance coalition government between 2004 and 2014, turned 89 on Sunday.

“Birthday greetings to our former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. I pray for his long life and wonderful health,” Mr. Modi tweeted.

The Congress, on its official Twitter handle, posted, “A visionary. A devoted patriot. A man of his words. Dr. Manmohan Singh, you are the leader India truly deserves.”

“#HappyBirthdayDrMMS, the Congress party & the entire nation cherishes you & your immense contributions- today & everyday. Thank you for everything you’ve done,” the party tweeted.

The Congress said Dr. Singh’s unbridled commitment to India's progress — right from the time of being the Finance Minister to the Prime Minister to even today — has benefited every Indian to a scale unimaginable.

In a Facebook post, former party chief Rahul Gandhi said, “Happy birthday to Dr. Manmohan Singh ji. He is fearless and brilliant with a great understanding of the issues our country has been facing. There is much to learn from him.”

“I wish him good health and happiness,” Mr. Gandhi said.