New Delhi, December 27 (HS): The last rites of late former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will be performed with state honors at Nigam Bodh Ghat on Saturday at 11.45 am. Citing this, the Union Home Ministry has requested the Defense Ministry to make arrangements for his state funeral with full military honors. Earlier today, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had demanded from the Prime Minister to provide space for Dr. Manmohan Singh's funeral and his memorial, so Congress leaders are angry about the government decision.
In a letter to Mayank Tiwari, Joint Secretary (Coordination), Ministry of Home Affairs, G Parthasarathy said, Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away on 26 December 2024 at 9.51 pm at AIIMS Hospital, New Delhi. The government has decided that Dr. Manmohan Singh will be cremated with state honors. The last rites will be performed on 28 December 2024 at 11:45 am at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi. The Ministry of Defense is requested to make arrangements for a state funeral with full military honors. According to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, the body of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has been kept at his residence 3, Motilal Nehru Road, New Delhi for the last darshan of the public today. Tomorrow, on 28 December, at 8 am, his body will be taken to the AICC headquarters and the public and Congress workers will have an opportunity to pay tribute between 8.30 and 9.30 am tomorrow. Dr. Singh's last journey will start from the AICC headquarters to the crematorium tomorrow at 9.30 am.
On the other hand, after this letter from the Home Ministry regarding making arrangements for the last rites of Dr. Manmohan Singh at Nigambodh Ghat, Congress leaders have started expressing their displeasure. Today, in the Congress Working Committee meeting, there was also a discussion on giving a separate place. After that, Rajya Sabha member Randeep Surjewala said in a post on social media X, Sardar Manmohan Singh wrote a unique story of nation building as Prime Minister for 10 years, laid the foundation of inclusive development and took the Indian economy to new heights. The construction of a memorial site in the capital Delhi in his honor and memory will be a true tribute to the great son of Mother India. The Modi government should accept this request of the Congress President beyond political ideologies and take an immediate decision to conduct the last rites and build a memorial at the memorial site itself. It is hoped that the decision will be taken in accordance with the sentiments of crores of countrymen, which the Congress President has expressed.
Congress leader Alka Lamba said, how can it be appropriate for Sardar Manmohan Singh ji's last rites to be performed at Nigam Bodh Ghat? This is not at all the right place according to his stature. Doing this would be against his honour. This has never happened with any former Prime Minister before. Former Prime Minister Atal ji is the latest example of this, whose last rites and memorial were built at the right place. This decision of the central government is unfortunate and hurtful. Some other Congress leaders have also expressed similar reactions.
Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar
