New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday lavished fulsome praise on late prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, upholding him as an ascetic in politics and a modernizer who gave impetus to economic policies.

"As I saw him from close quarters, he was truly a sanyasi (ascetic) in politics. He was a modernizer who was steeped in our tradition and ethos. He was a rare scholar, statesman who gave a new sense of direction not only to our economic but also foreign policies.

The tribute to the former prime minister, who made Manmohan Singh the finance minister in the early 1991, came at a function on "Human Values, Spirituality, Integration and Peace" organised by Manohar Rao, late Narasimha Rao's brother.

The prime minister's remarks come barely 10 days after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had, in a broadside against the Congress establishment during Narasimha Rao's tenure, claimed that the Babri Masjid would not have been demolished had the Gandhi family been active in politics at that time.

Gandhi was speaking to media on the way from Meerut to Deoband in the Muslim heartland of Uttar Pradesh during his first roadshow ahead of the state assembly elections.

At Saturday's conference, Manmohan Singh said he was happy that the conference also paid tribute to Narasimha Rao, whom he described as a great son of India.

"I will always cherish the unique opportunity I had to work with him. He was a friend, philosopher and guide in many ways," added Manmohan Singh.

"His command over several languages was not just a linguistic capability. It made him truly a pan-Indian personality equally at ease in Karimnagar, Pune,

Benaras, and Delhi!"