The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi from his residence on Saturday. They will be kept at the AICC headquarters for party workers to pay their last respects.
Several politicians, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajesh Thakur, and others, have arrived at the AICC headquarters to pay their final tributes to the former Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, preparations for the funeral march are underway at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi’s Kashmere Gate. The last rites of Dr. Manmohan Singh are scheduled to be performed today.
A large number of people also gathered outside the former Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi to pay their respects. Jasmeet, a resident of East Delhi, stated that she and her husband, Hatendra Pal, had come to pay tribute to Dr. Singh, whom she credited with making India renowned globally.
The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory ahead of the funeral, outlining restrictions and diversions on major routes in New Delhi. The public has been urged to avoid certain roads and use public transport to ease congestion.
Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting that Dr. Singh’s funeral be held at a site where a memorial could later be built. In a post on social media platform X, Kharge wrote, “I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, I requested to hold Dr. Manmohan Singh’s last rites at a final resting place that would serve as a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of this great son of India. This aligns with the tradition of establishing memorials for statesmen and former Prime Ministers at their funeral sites.”
Kharge further stated that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature.
Following the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah informed Kharge and Dr. Singh’s family that the government would allocate space for the memorial.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has confirmed that the last rites of Dr. Singh will be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi today at 11:45 PM.
Dr. Singh’s political career spanned several decades, including his tenure as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India’s economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His leadership is particularly remembered for guiding India through economic crises and modernizing its economy.
After his second term, Dr. Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections.
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