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 yesterday 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.