Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus paying tributes to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday (December31, 2024) paid a rich tribute to former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who died last week.

Professor Yunus visited the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and placed a floral wreath at the portrait of the late Indian Prime Minister, a release from the office of the Chief Adviser said.

He also wrote a condolence message in the condolence book opened at the High Commission.

India is observing a seven-day mourning for the late Prime Minister of the country.

Indian High Commissioner Pranay Kumar Verma received the Chief Adviser at the High Commission at Baridhara at 11:30 am.

Professor Yunus spoke briefly with the High Commissioner and shared his memories with his long-time friend Manmohan Singh.

“How simple he was! how wise he was!” he said, recalling his friendship with the late Indian Premier.

He also said that Dr. Singh played a big role in turning India into a global economic giant.

Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati, December 28, 2024: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, at the TDP central office in Mangalagiri, on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, describing him as a transformative figure in India’s economic history. At a solemn gathering at the TDP’s central office in Mangalagiri, party members garlanded Singh’s portrait and reflected on his invaluable contributions to the nation.

Endowments Minister Anam Venkata Ramanarayana Reddy expressed deep sorrow over Singh’s demise. He lauded the former Prime Minister as a tireless servant of the nation who steered India from an economic crisis to becoming a global financial powerhouse.

“Manmohan Singh’s reforms reshaped the economy, bringing India from pledging gold for loans to purchasing gold from global markets,” he remarked, adding that his absence leaves an irreplaceable void.

TDP State president Palla Srinivas Yadav highlighted Singh’s pivotal role in transforming India into one of the world’s largest economies. “His unwavering confidence and resilience in the face of adversity are an inspiration,” Yadav noted. He also traced Singh’s illustrious journey from being a lecturer to holding prominent positions such as RBI Governor, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, UGC Chairman, and ultimately, Prime Minister.

MLC Ashok Babu reflected on Singh’s tenure as Finance Minister in 1991, noting how his visionary reforms elevated India to the fifth-largest economy in the world. “He not only redefined India’s economic trajectory but also positioned the nation as a global powerhouse,” he said.

Prominent TDP leaders, including Politburo member Varla Ramaiah, MLAs, and other senior members participated in the event, offering condolences to Singh’s family and acknowledging his unmatched contributions to India’s economic and political landscape.

New Delhi:

In a significant escalation of the row over the choice of Dr Manmohan Singh’s cremation site, senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the BJP-ruled government at the Centre and accused it of “insulting” the memory of the two-term Prime Minister and not thinking beyond “politics and narrow-mindedness”. 

Leading a no-holds-barred counterattack, BJP president JP Nadda said the Congress and Rahul Gandhi were playing “cheap politics” in Mr Singh’s name and accused the party of not doing justice to any leader who was not from the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Dr Singh, who died at the age of 92 on Thursday, was cremated at the Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi with full state honours on Saturday. A day before the funeral, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, citing Dr Singh’s stature and his contributions to the country, requested that the last rites be conducted in a place where a memorial could also be built in his name. 

As the controversy over the memorial gathered steam, the Centre issued a release ahead of the funeral stating that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said a place would be allocated for Dr Singh’s memorial and the cremation should take place in the meantime. 

‘Should Have Shown Respect’

Rahul Gandhi tweeted after the funeral, however, that the BJP had “totally insulted” the first Prime Minister from the Sikh community by having his last rites conducted at Nigambodh Ghat. 

“The great son of Mother India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, Dr Manmohan Singh ji has been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites today at the Nigambodh Ghat. He was the Prime Minister of India for a decade, during his tenure the country became an economic superpower and his policies still support the poor and backward classes of the country,” Mr Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, posted on X.

“Till date, respecting the dignity of all former Prime Ministers, their last rites were performed at authorised burial sites so that every person could have the last ‘darshan’ and pay homage without any inconvenience. Dr Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country and his proud community,” he added. 

Highlighting many of the same issues as her brother, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the government should have thought “beyond politics and narrow-mindedness” when it came to Dr Singh’s funeral site. 

“By not providing an adequate place for the cremation of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the Government has not done justice to the dignity of the post of former Prime Minister, the personality of Manmohan Singh, his legacy and the self-respecting Sikh community. Earlier, all former Prime Ministers were given the highest honour and respect. Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji deserves this honour and Samadhi Sthal… The government should have thought beyond politics and narrow-mindedness in this matter,” Ms Gandhi said.

The Congress MP also claimed that Dr Singh’s family was “struggling for space” at the funeral site.

‘Cheap Politics’

Hitting out at the Congress and Rahul Gandhi over the claims, BJP President JP Nadda said “cheap politics” was being played over Dr Singh’s cremation and pointed out that the Centre had already stated that space would be allotted for his memorial. Repeating a charge that the BJP has frequently levelled against the Congress, he also accused the party of placing its then-president Sonia Gandhi as ‘super PM’ over Manmohan Singh when he was the Prime Minister between 2004 and 2014. 

“It is indeed ironic that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and current president Mallikarjun Kharge are not refraining from doing politics even over the sad demise of the country’s former Prime Minister, the honourable Manmohan Singh… The Congress, which never gave real respect to Dr Manmohan Singh while he was alive, is now doing politics in the name of his respect. This is the same Congress which tarnished the dignity of the PM post by placing Sonia Gandhi as ‘super PM’ over PM Manmohan Singh,” the Union Minister said in Hindi.

Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi for “tearing up” an ordinance passed by the Manmohan Singh cabinet in 2013, the BJP politician also accused the Gandhis of neither respecting nor doing justice to any senior leader who was not from their family. He cited the examples of Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pranab Mukherjee and PV Narasimha Rao.

“After the death of former Prime Minister Shri Narasimha Rao on 23 December, 2004, there was a demand to build a ‘samadhi sthal’ (memorial) in Delhi’s Rajghat complex, but super PM Sonia Gandhi did not approve it. His body was not even given a place in the Congress office. Congress did not want Narasimha Rao ji’s last rites to be performed in Delhi and later his last rites were performed in Hyderabad. It was Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji who also built a ‘samadhi’ for Narasimha Rao ji in 2015 and honoured him by giving him Bharat Ratna in 2024,” he said.

“According to an estimate, Congress governments in the country have named about 600 government schemes, educational institutions, awards, roads, national parks, museums, airports, ports, buildings and sports after the Nehru-Gandhi family, while the number of schemes named after other personalities is very few. Our country will never forget and will never forgive the historical sins of the unprincipled Congress. Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders of the Congress party should refrain from such cheap politics,” he added.

Kochi:

The Congress in Kerala on Saturday criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for participating in an official inauguration ceremony at the international airport here while the nation was mourning the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Speaking to reporters here, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan described the Chief Minister’s action as “disrespectful” and “inappropriate”.

It is disrespectful and inappropriate for someone like the CM to attend and inaugurate an official event at Kochi airport while the funeral of Manmohan Singh, who served as Prime Minister of India for ten years, is being held in New Delhi, the LoP said.

He added that the Chief Minister of Kerala should not have attended such an event and that a request had been made to the airport management to postpone the function and inform the Chief Minister about it the day before.

VD Satheesan expressed his “grief and protest” over the “disrespect” shown by the CM.

Earlier in the day, Mr Vijayan inaugurated the Taj Cochin International Airport, a five-star hotel developed by Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) and operated by the IHCL Taj Group.

In New Delhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was cremated with full state honours on Saturday in the presence of top dignitaries from India and abroad.

The last rites were attended by President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with top Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The row over the choice of site for Dr Manmohan Singh’s cremation and a possible memorial in his name escalated today after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of “insulting” the memory of the former prime minister. 

Dr Singh, who served as India’s prime minister from 2004 to 2014, died at the age of 92 on December 26 at AIIMS Delhi. His last rites were performed today at the Nigambodh Ghat with full state honours. The choice of the funeral site was flagged by Mr Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as an “insult” to Dr Singh. 

“The great son of Mother India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, Dr Manmohan Singh ji has been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites today at the Nigambodh Ghat. He was the Prime Minister of India for a decade, during his tenure the country became an economic superpower and his policies still support the poor and backward classes of the country,” Mr Gandhi posted on X.

“Till date, respecting the dignity of all former Prime Ministers, their last rites were performed at authorised burial sites so that every person could have the last ‘darshan’ and pay homage without any inconvenience. Dr Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country and his proud community,” he added. 

The BJP was quick to rebuke the Congress for raising the issue on the day of Dr Singh’s cremation. 

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra criticised Mr Gandhi for his remarks, accusing him of stooping to a “new low in Indian politics.”

“This is a new low in politics of India, thanks to the Congress party. The kind of politics Congress is doing, especially Rahul Gandhi – who has tweeted about the cremation – is shameful. We in a cabinet meeting after the demise of the former PM Manmohan Singh – decided that since he was the PM and had a big stature  – the cabinet wrote a letter to Congress and Dr Singh’s family – where the cabinet said that we should build a memorial in his name so that the country and the world remember him for his positive works,” Mr Patra said in a press conference.

The BJP further accused Congress of hypocrisy, pointing out past instances of alleged disrespect toward its own leaders, such as former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and former President Pranab Mukherjee.

Dr Singh’s body was then taken to Nigambodh Ghat in a flower-adorned vehicle, accompanied by security personnel and a large gathering of supporters. Mr Gandhi walked alongside the procession and later helped carry the casket to the pyre.

At the cremation ground, the ceremony was attended by a host of dignitaries, including President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Leaders from the Congress, such as Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Jairam Ramesh, were also present, along with senior BJP leaders Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh.

Foreign dignitaries, including Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful, joined the ceremony to honour Dr Singh’s legacy.

The former prime minister’s eldest daughter, Upinder Singh, lit the funeral pyre, as Sikh priests recited Gurbani hymns. The ceremony concluded with a 21-gun salute by the armed forces.
 

New Delhi:

Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Saturday attended the funeral of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, a day after leading the Himalayan nation in offering prayers for the Indian leader at a Buddhist monastery in Thimphu.

Separate prayer ceremonies were held for the former Indian prime minister at all 20 Dzongkhags or districts of Bhutan, according to the Bhutan government.

As a mark of respect to Dr Singh, Bhutan’s national flag was flown at half-mast across the country and at its embassies, and consulates abroad, according to the Royal Bhutan government.

A thousand butter lamps were lit at the ceremony held in Thimphu’s Kuenrey of Tashichhodzong that was led by the King.

The prayer was attended by Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Indian ambassador Sudhakar Dalela, several members of the Royal family and senior officials of the Bhutanese government.

“As a mark of respect to the late former prime minister and in solidarity with the government and people of India, all national flags across the country and at Bhutan’s embassies, missions, and consulates abroad are being flown at half-mast,” the Bhutanese government said in a social media post on Friday.

On Saturday, King Wangchuck paid rich tributes to Dr Singh at his funeral at the Nigambodh Ghat public cremation ground in Delhi.

Dr Singh, who served as the prime minister from 2004 to 2014 and widely known as the architect of India’s economic reforms, died on Thursday night at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 92.

India’s relations with several key countries including Bhutan saw significant upswing during Dr Singh’s prime ministership.

India and Bhutan enjoy strong bonds of friendship based on goodwill, trust and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The basic framework of India-Bhutan relations is the ‘Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation’ signed in 1949. It was renewed in February 2007 when Dr Singh was the prime minister.

The cooperation in the hydro-power sector is one of the cornerstones of the relations.

The ongoing cooperation between India and Bhutan in the hydro-power sector is covered under the 2006 bilateral agreement for cooperation and its Protocol signed in 2009.

The pact and the protocol were inked during Dr Singh’s tenure as the prime minister.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Gun salute being accorded to former prime minister Manmohan Singh during his state funeral, at the Nigambodh Ghat, in New Delhi, Saturday, December 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

As a mark of respect for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mauritius has annuonced that it’s natonal flag will fly at half-mast at all his state institution still the sunset on Saturday, December 28, 2024.

“Following the passing way of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of Republic of India, the public is hereby informed that Mauritius flag will be flown at half-mast on all government buildings until sunset on Saturday, December 28, 2024, the day of his funeral”, a release from the Prime Minister’s Office from Port Louis said.

It also appealed to the private sector for all the flags to fly half-mast on Saturday.

The former Prime Minister was cremated with full State honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi’s Kashmere Gate in the presence of his family, friends, colleagues and government dignitaries.

Dr Manmohan Singh’s last rites will be performed today around 11:45 am on Saturday. The Centre has declared a seven-day state mourning throughout the country as a mark of respect to Dr Singh. During this period, the national flag will be flown half-mast across India.

The Congress has also declared that all official programs of the party, including the Foundation Day celebration will be cancelled for the next seven days and will resume on January 3.

A row has erupted between the Centre and Congress over the allotment of space for Dr Singh’s memorial. The Congress condemned the allocation of the Nigambodh Ghat for the final rituals instead of a location where a memorial could be built in his honour.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about exploring the possibility of building a memorial for Dr Singh at the same site where the last rites would be held. “Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I made a request 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 a 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,” Mr Kharge wrote in a letter on Friday.

However, BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan hit back at Congress, calling the party’s behaviour “ironic”. “It is indeed ironic that a Congress President is writing to PM Narendra Modi ji about traditions and the funeral place becoming the sacrosanct venue for a memorial. One should remind Kharge ji how the Congress-led UPA government never built a memorial in Delhi for former PM Narasimha Rao ji, who passed away in 2004,” he said.

The Centre also clarified that it will allocate a space for Dr Singh’s memorial – which was also conveyed to Mr Kharge and Dr Singh’s family. However, it said that in the meantime, cremation and other formalities can take place because a “trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated”.

Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of former President late Pranab Mukherjee, criticised Mr Kharge over the party’s demand for a separate memorial for the former Prime Minister. In a statement on X, she claimed that when her father and the former Indian President died in August 2020, the Congress leadership did not even bother to convene a condolence meeting by the Congress Working Committee (CWC). According to her, a senior leader of the Congress told her that memorials are not held for Indian Presidents. 

Manmohan Singh died of age-related medical complications at the age of 92 on Thursday night. He had been in poor health for the last few months. Known as the ‘architect of India’s economic reforms’, Dr Singh was the PM for two terms in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government from 2004 to 2014.

Born in 1932, Dr Singh studied at the University of Cambridge in the UK where he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics in 1957. He also had a degree in Economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University. Dr Singh became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1991 and was the Leader of the Opposition between 1998 and 2004. He was awarded India’s second-highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan, in 1987.

Many world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Canada’s former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, have expressed condolences over the death of Dr Singh.

New Delhi:

Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim paid tributes to his “true friend” Dr Manmohan Singh, former two-time Prime Minister who died at the age of 92. Calling Dr Singh the “midwife of India’s emergence”, Mr Ibrahim said the praise that is poured upon the former PM is “truly well-deserved”.

“The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh. Obituaries, essays and books a plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India’s economic reforms. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of India’s emergence as one of the world’s economic giants,” Mr Ibrahim wrote in a post on X.

According to Mr Ibrahim, Dr Singh was “slightly awkward” as a politician but “undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute” as a statesman.

Also Read | Not Health, Manmohan Singh Asked About This After 10-Hour Heart Surgery

He also shared Dr Singh’s ‘act of kindness’ towards him during his incarceration years.

“Not many people know this, and it is time that I share it with Malaysians: during the years of my incarceration, he extended a kindness that he didn’t have to – one that was neither politically expedient nor, as one can imagine, appreciated by the Malaysian government at that time. Yet, true to his character, he did it anyway. He offered scholarships for my children, particularly my son, Ihsan. Although I had declined the gracious offer, such a gesture undoubtedly showed his extraordinary humanity and generosity, demonstrative, as the Bard would have it, of a man so full of “the milk of human kindness”,” he said.

“In those dark days, as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by me as a true friend. Such acts of quiet magnanimity defined him, and they will remain etched in my heart forever. Goodbye, my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan,” the Malaysian PM added.

Also Read | Why Manmohan Singh Always Wore A Blue Turban

The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh.

Obituaries, essays and books a plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India’s economic reforms. As Prime… pic.twitter.com/44bA3s7vst

— Anwar Ibrahim (@anwaribrahim) December 27, 2024

Manmohan Singh died due to age-related medical complications. He had been in poor health for the last few months. His remains will be brought to his residence in Delhi for the public to offer their condolences. The funeral will be held at 9:30 am on Saturday. The former Prime Minister’s last rites will be conducted with full state honours. A seven-day state mourning will be observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to Dr Singh. During this period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast across India.

New Delhi:

Weeks before leaving office as Prime Minister in 2014, Dr Manmohan Singh made a statement that would be repeated even after his death. “I honestly believe history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media or for that matter, the Opposition parties in Parliament,” he said, responding to NDTV’s Sunil Prabhu who asked Dr Singh about his perceived inability to rein in ministers and act decisively in certain situations.

This response, dismissed by some at the time as self-assurance amid mounting criticism, has gained resonance following his death last night at the age of 92

READ | How Manmohan Singh Became “Accidental PM” After Shock UPA Victory In 2004

Dr Singh died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. As condolences pour in from across party lines, his legacy as a silent architect of India’s economic reforms is being revisited.

“I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the Opposition parties in Parliament,” Dr Manmohan Singh said in 2014. Just ten years later, he is already being proven right,” wrote Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. 

READ | “People Say I Was…”: When Manmohan Singh Defended “Silent PM” Charge

Similarly, BRS leader KT Rama Rao described Dr Singh as a “silent architect of modern India”.

“A silent architect of modern India, a visionary, a true intellectual, and a gracious human being! History will indeed be kinder and grateful to you. My heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh ji. His legacy will continue to inspire many generations to come,” Mr Rao said. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, reflecting on Dr Singh’s impact on the liberalisation of India’s economy, said, “For someone like me, born in the 90s, the opening up of India to the world and vice versa was like growing up in a decade where each day was new. 

He credited Dr Singh with putting India on the global stage and recalled his dignified response to criticism during his tenure.

READ | “Epitome Of Simplicity”: PM Modi’s Video Tribute To Manmohan Singh

“He truly put our nation on a world stage. As he said about himself while taking on all the unfounded criticism, ‘history would be kinder’, we as Indians truly believe, that the present too will be kinder to his statesman-like legacy, as we all bid him a sorrowful goodbye,” Mr Thackeray said. 

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge paid homage to Dr Singh’s enduring legacy, echoing his 2014 statement. “Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji!” Mr Kharge posted on social media. 

Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPIML leader, recalled the allegations and criticisms that Dr Singh faced during his tenure. “He was grilled for scams that would never be proved, for his reticence that’d be held against him as a sign of weakness. But today India will perhaps agree to his 2014 remark: ‘history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media’,” Mr Bhattacharya stated.

Telangana Chief Minister  Revanth Reddy described Dr. Singh as “one of the greatest economists, leaders, reformers, and above all, a humanitarian of our times.” 

“He showed how decency and class are much needed aspects of political & public life. He is a legend in whose passing away, India has lost a great son. Truly, in his own words, history will treat him far more kindly, and respectfully, than his own times perhaps did. My prayers and deepest condolence for the bereaved family members.” Mr Reddy added. 

Dr Singh’s quiet demeanour often masked the monumental impact of his policies. As Finance Minister in the early 1990s, he spearheaded economic reforms that liberalised India’s economy, paving the way for rapid growth and global integration. His tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 saw significant achievements, including the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement and an ambitious expansion of social welfare programs.