Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Kharge pay their last respects to former PM Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Saturday paid his last respects to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi. Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), also paid her last respects to former Prime Minister.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid their last respects to the former PM at the Congress party headquarters.

Several leaders of Congress, including general secretary KC Venugopal are present at the party headquarters. The mortal remains of late PM Manmohan Singh are kept there for the party workers to pay their last respects. The last rites of former PM Manmohan Singh will be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi today.

#WATCH | Delhi: Lok Sabha LoP & Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra pay last respects to former Prime Minister #DrManmohanSingh at AICC Headquarters. pic.twitter.com/4iLrAXsqsZ

— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X.

“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, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh’s last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals,” Kharge wrote in his letter.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital.

Singh’s political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including 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 tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India’s economy.
After his second term, 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. (ANI)