New Delhi:

The ashes of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were immersed at the Yamuna Ghat near the Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tila Sahib in Delhi, a day after he was cremated with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat. His ashes were brought to the Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tila Sahib earlier today.

The family of the late Dr Manmohan Singh will perform rituals at the Gurudwara including Shabad Kirtan (musical recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib), Paath (recitation of Gurbani) and Ardas.

Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that the ashes of the former PM will be immersed in Yamuna and after that, the family members will come to Gurudwara for Ardas (prayers).

“Today, the ashes of former PM Manmohan Singh will be immersed in Yamuna. Prior to that, his ashes will be kept here (Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tilla) – Shabad Kirtan, Paath and Ardas will be performed… After the immersion of his ashes in the Yamuna, his family members will come to Gurdwara for Ardas,” Sahney told ANI.

Meanwhile, Gursharan Kaur, wife of former PM Manmohan Singh, also arrived at the Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tilla for Kirtan and Guru Path.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday 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.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their last respects to the former PM by placing a wreath near his body earlier today.

The last rites were carried out at the VIP Ghat as per the Sikh rituals. Dr Singh’s body were placed on a pyre of sandalwood sticks.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present for the cremation ceremony after they paid tribute to the former Prime Minister.

The body of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi from his residence on early Saturday morning for party workers to pay their respects. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their tributes.

Earlier after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, 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.

Dr 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 modernising India’s 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.

(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:

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and accused the ruling party of “playing politics.”

Attacking BJP further, Mr Sidhu asked how had the party felt if former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had not got a memorial at Rajghat. He further said that this issue is not of one party but of the entire country’s history.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Sidhu said, “When a person dies, all enmity vanishes with him… but politics is being played here. I ask a small question if Atal Ji’s last rites were to be performed and someone had said that the memorial would not be built at Raj Ghat, it would be built somewhere else, how would you feel?… This issue is not of any party but of the country’s history…”

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh slammed the BJP-led central government on the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for Dr Singh, saying that it is unfortunate that leaders even have to talk about this issue.

Mr Singh asked the government to tell the name of any former PM whose last rites were performed at Nigambodh Ghat and not in the Rajghat premises.

Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Singh said, “It is unfortunate that we even have to talk about this. This shows how obnoxious the government’s thinking is… I want to ask PM Narendra Modi, why are you not ready to give space for PM Manmohan Singh’s last rites in the Rajghat premises? This party calls itself the most cultured? Tell me the name of one former PM whose last rites were performed in Nigambodh… How disrespected the Sikh community must feel…”

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said, “This is not an issue at all, PM Modi’s government should have thought about it beforehand. The whole country wants that his last rites should be performed at the same place where his memorial is to be built. This demand is not just of Congress, not just of Punjab and Sikh community, this is a worldwide demand of all Indians. There is no need to think about it, the government should have thought about it beforehand…”

Earlier today, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi launched a scathing attack on Congress for indulging in “politics” over the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh. He said that Congress never respected the former PM.

Mr Trivedi said it was Congress’ history that they never respected any leader outside the Gandhi family.

“At least today, in this hour of grief, politics should be avoided,” he said, adding that the Modi government has respected all leaders irrespective of the party affiliation by giving Bharat Ratna to former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao, Madan Mohan Malviya and former President Pranab Mukherjee.

On Friday, 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,” Mr Kharge wrote in his letter.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Mr 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,” the government said.

Manmohan Singh died 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 AIIMS, Delhi.

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

Mumbai:

Once or twice a month, the then Governor of the Reserve Bank of India would walk to Mumbai’s famous Strand Book Stall in the Fort area to check out the latest arrivals. Little did the bookstore’s staff know that this soft-spoken book-lover would become the country’s prime minister.

A former staff member of Strand, which shut down a few years ago, recalled warm memories of Dr Manmohan Singh who died in Delhi on Thursday night at age 92.

Singh was the RBI governor between 1982 and 1985. Occasionally, he would visit the bookshop, a walking distance away, dressed in a ‘Band Gala’ suit or Kurta-Pyjama.

“Many of us have seen him at the store at lunchtime in those days,” said T Jagath, who worked at Strand for over two decades.

Jagath, now Chief Operating Officer of Kitab Khana bookstore, remembers Singh’s unassuming manners.

“I used to handle the management and literature section. He would ask for books on management, finance, and economy,” Jagath said.

“Sometimes I would find a book for him from the shelf,” he said, adding that Singh would call him by his name.

Sometimes, T N Shanbhag, the owner of Strand, would personally help him with books and show new arrivals.

“We used to wait for him in the afternoons as we knew he might drop in any day,” said Jagath.

India has lost a great economist and a good human being, he added.

“During my stint at Strand, I have seen seven to eight RBI governors. But Manmohan Singh was a very different personality amongst them,” said Jagath.

“Such a great man, very soft-spoken and down-to-earth; he used to treat all of us politely,” he said.

“No other political personality can match Dr Singh’s stature,” Jagath added. 

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

Outgoing US President Joe Biden has paid tributes to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and called him a “true statesman” and a “dedicated public servant”. Dr Singh, who held office from 2004 to 2014 and was known as one of the architects of economic reforms in 1991 that pulled India from the brink of bankruptcy, died Thursday at 92.

“The unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the Prime Minister’s strategic vision and political courage,” Mr Biden said in a statement on Friday.

From forging the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between Indo-Pacific partners, Manmohan Singh charted “pathbreaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations — and the world —for generations to come,” Mr Biden said.

Under the leadership of Dr Singh and then US President George W Bush, India and the US announced in 2005 that they would cooperate in civil nuclear energy.

Following a series of negotiations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is a United Nations agency that promotes the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technology, approved the safeguards agreement with India in August 2008, following which the US approached the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to grant a waiver to New Delhi to commence civilian nuclear trade.

The NSG then granted the waiver to India on September 6, 2008, allowing it to access civilian nuclear technology and fuel from other countries.

Mr Biden also recalled meeting Dr Singh as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as the US Vice President during his official state visit to the US in 2009.

“He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013. As we discussed then, the US-India relationship is among the most consequential in the world. And together, as partners and friends, our nations can unlock a future of dignity and unlimited potential for all of our people,” Mr Biden said.

“During this difficult time, we recommit to this vision to which Prime Minister Singh dedicated his life. And Jill (US First Lady) and I send our deepest condolences to former First Lady Gursharan Kaur, their three children, and all the people of India,” he added.

Manmohan Singh’s last rites will be held with full state honours today at the Nigambodh Ghat, a public cremation ground in Delhi.

Several politicians, including President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are expected to attend the funeral.

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:

Hours before former prime minister Manmohan Singh will be laid to rest on Saturday, a row has ensued over a memorial for him, prompting the BJP to ask Congress to not play dirty politics in his name.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had on Friday spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about exploring the possibility of building a memorial to Manmohan Singh at the same site where the last rites would be held.

“This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former prime ministers at the very place of their funerals,” the Congress chief said.

In a press release issued later, the Centre said that Union Home minister Amit Shah had said that a place for Dr Singh’s memorial will be allocated, while adding that the cremation and other formalities can go ahead in the mean time.

Quick to hit out at the BJP was also senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who said people are unable to understand why the Centre could not find a location for the memorial, calling it an insult of India’s first Sikh prime minister.

Also Read | In UK, Manmohan Singh Sometimes Had To Live On Chocolate Bar: Daughter

The BJP said the Congress should stop playing dirty politics on the death of Dr Singh. “Congress should recall how they treated former PM Narasimha Rao Ji after his death. The daughter of Shri Pranab Mukherjee also has tweeted how shabbily her father, a former President, was treated by the Congress,” a party statement read.

Dr Singh was the prime minister from 2004 till 2014. He also headed the Reserve Bank Of India and served as the finance minister under prime minister PV Narasimha Rao. He died at AIIMS Delhi on Thursday at the age of 92.

The mortals remains of Dr Singh will be kept at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters for an hour from 8.30 am for the people and Congress workers to pay their obeisance. Singh’s final journey will commence from the headquarters to the cremation ground at 9.30 am on Saturday, party general secretary K C Venugopal said. His last rites will be held at New Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat at 11.45 am on Saturday with full state honours.

New Delhi:

Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of former President late Pranab Mukherjee, has criticised Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s proposal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a separate memorial for former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Dr. Manmohan Singh died of age-related illnesses at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday night. He was 92.

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).

When baba passed away, Congress didnt even bother 2 call CWC 4 condolence meeting. A senior leader told me it’s not done 4 Presidents. Thats utter rubbish as I learned later from baba’s diaries that on KR Narayanan’s death, CWC was called & condolence msg was drafted by baba only https://t.co/nbYCF7NsMB

— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) December 27, 2024

She had even accused the Congress leadership of misleading her on this issue during that time.

According to her, a senior leader of the Congress told her that it is not for Indian Presidents. Terming this logic by the Congress leader whom she referred to as utter rubbish she had also claimed that she learnt from her father’s diaries that on the demise of another former Indian President K.R. Narayanan, a CWC meeting was called and the condolence message was drafted by none other than Pranab Mukherjee.

Sharmishtha Mukherjee has referred to another post by one individual C.R. Kesavan, which highlighted how Congress had disregarded other statesmen from the party just because they were not members of the “Gandhi” family.

On this issue, a reference had been drawn to a chapter in the book ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ penned by Dr Singh’s media advisor from 2004 to 2009 and the former editor-in-chief of Financial Express Dr Sanjaya Baru, where it had been mentioned how the Congress-led UPA government never built a memorial in Delhi for former Indian Prime Minister Late P.V. Narasimha Rao, who passed away in 2004.

In the book, it was also mentioned that Congress never built a memorial for Rao despite being in power from 2004 to 2014. Baru in his book had also claimed that Congress did not even want Rao’s cremation to happen in New Delhi but rather in his native place of Hyderabad.

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

New Delhi:

The government will allocate space for a memorial of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and this has been communicated to his family and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Union home ministry said on Friday night.

In a late-night release titled “Facts of the matter regarding memorial for Former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh”, the ministry said the government received a request to allocate space for a memorial for Singh from the Congress chief.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Mr Kharge and the family of Manmohan Singh that the government would 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, the home ministry said.

Dr Singh, who headed the Congress-led UPA government and is credited with economic reforms, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92.

He was India’s prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial of Singh was a deliberate insult to the country’s first Sikh prime minister.

The party raised the issue after the home ministry said Singh’s last rites would be held at New Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat at 11.45 am on Saturday with full state honours.

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

A local at former Prime minister Manmohan Singh’s ancestral Gah village, in Chakwal district, Pakistan. Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms, died in New Delhi. He was 92.
| Photo Credit: PTI

“The entire village is in mourning. We feel that someone from our family has died today,” Altaf Hussain said as a group of local residents held a meeting to condole the death of village boy Manmohan who became Prime Minister next door.

Mr. Hussain is a teacher at the same school in Gah village where Dr. Manmohan Singh studied up to Class 4. His father Gurmukh Singh was a cloth merchant and his mother Amrat Kaur a homemaker. His friends called him ‘Mohna’.

The village lies about 100 km southwest of capital Islamabad and was part of Jhelum district when Dr. Singh was born. It was included in Chakwal when it was made a district in 1986.

Surrounded by lush green fields, the place can be reached from M-2 motorway linking Islamabad to Lahore, as well as from Chakwal city.

The former Prime Minister of India died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Thursday night. He was 92.

Raja Ashiq Ali, nephew of Raja Muhammad Ali, a schoolmate who travelled to Delhi in 2008 to meet him, addressed the meeting. “All these villagers are deeply moved… They were eager to attend his last rites in India, but it is not possible. So, they are here to mourn,” he said.

Dr. Singh’s rise brought to spotlight his forgotten ancestral village. Some classmates who were around when he became Prime Minister in 2004 are dead now. But their families still live in Gah and cherish the old link.

“We are still overwhelmed by the memory of the days when everyone in the village felt proud that a boy from our village had become the Prime Minister of India,” Mr. Ashiq Ali said.

The most iconic place in the village is perhaps the school where Singh got his early education. His admission number in the register is 187, and the date of admission April 17, 1937. His date of birth is entered as February 4, 1932, his caste as ‘Kohli’.

Local people credit the Singh connection for the renovation of the school and say there was some talk about naming it after the Indian politician. His rise in India prompted local authorities to concentrate on the development of the village, they believe.

Dr. Singh shifted to Chakwal after Class 4. Shortly before Partition, the family moved to Amritsar, according to the villagers.

Dr. Singh invited one of his friends, Raja Muhammad Ali, to visit him in Delhi in 2008. Ali died in 2010, and so did a couple of other friends in the years that followed.

‘Mohna’ never came back to Gah and finally the news of his passing arrived, severing the bond with the village.

“Dr. Manmohan Singh could not come to Gah in his lifetime. But now when he is no more, we want that someone from his family should come and pay a visit to this village,” the schoolteacher said.