Former Indian PM cremated

HYDERABAD, India, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Former Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao was cremated Saturday with full state honors in Hyderabad, the BBC reported.

Rao died Thursday of heart failure following a long illness. He was 83.

Current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was present at the funeral. He declared a seven-day period of national mourning.

However, Sonia Gandhi, president of Rao's Congress party, was not in attendance.

Rao served as prime minister between 1991 and 1996. He is credited with a series of economic reforms.