The BJP leader consistently hit out at his Congress colleague, once he had started his move to Delhi, leaving even the unflappable Singh often flustered. The exception was Modi's Rajya Sabha farewell tribute to Singh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Manmohan Singh's death as a "big loss" to the nation, asserting that his contribution to India will always be remembered.

There were times when both leaders didn't seem to see eye-to-eye, mostly triggered by ideological and political differences.