New Delhi, Jan. 27 : The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh expressed shock and grief on the sad demise of former President Ramaswamy Venkataraman on Tuesday.

Describing the former President as an outstanding figure of public life, the Prime Minister said that the former President would be long remembered for his service to the nation, his strength of character and his knowledge and wisdom.

The Prime Minister expressed his deepest condolences to the members of the former President Venkataraman''s family and friends and admirers.

Former President Ramaswamy Venkataraman breathed his last on Tuesday at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi.

Ninty eight-year-old R. Venkataraman was hospitalised on January 12 with complaint of Urosepsis (a toxic condition caused by the extravasations of urine into bodily tissues.

He was suffering from multi-organ failure and was on advanced life support systems including ventilatory support and continuous hemodialysis," an official of the hospital said.

Venkataraman served as the eighth President of the Republic of India, from 1987 to 1992. He served nearly four years as the 7th Vice-President before being elected as the President of the country.

Prime Minister Dr. Singh is presently recuperating after heart surgery at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). (ANI)