Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh paid his last respects to Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora at the General's home in New Delhi's Friend's Colony this morning.

Earlier in a Condolence Message, Dr Singh said:

"It is with profound sadness that I have received the news of the passing away of a heroic and gallant son of India, Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora. I join the Nation in paying tribute to the courage, valour and patriotism of this highly decorated officer of the Indian Army.

Generations of Indians will recall with gratitude and pride that glorious moment on the 19th of December 1971, at 1651 hours, when Gen. Niazi's Pakistan Army surrendered to the Indian Army in Dhaka. It is a measure of his wisdom, courage, foresight and statesmanship that Lt. Gen. Aurora told a young admirer once, "as a human being I feel that India and Pakistan will have to learn to live with each other and not continue to fight at the expense of the progress of each country."

I offer my sincere condolences to his family members and to the soldiers and officers of our armed forces who held him in high esteem and whom he led with great distinction."