Manmohan Singh's wife, daughter and other Congress leaders pay last respects at AICC headquarters

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Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and his daughter Daman Singh on Saturday paid their last respects to him at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi, ANI reported.

Several politicians including Congress MP and LoP Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also paid their last respects to Singh.

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Meanwhile, the preparations for the funeral procession are underway at Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in honour of Manmohan Singh. The last rites will be performed today, ANI reported.

Huge crowd gathered outside the Delhi residence of the former Prime Minister to pay their last respects. Jasmeet, a resident of East Delhi, said that she had come with her husband to pay tribute to Dr. Singh who she credits for making India famous globally, ANI cited.

Earlier, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory, ahead of the funeral of the former Prime Minister. The traffic advisory outlines restrictions and diversions on major New Delhi routes, requesting the public to avoid certain roads and use public transport to help ease congestion.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge earlier spoke to Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have a funeral of Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, as per INC 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.

Kharge further claimed that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature.

As per ANI, immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Amit Shah communicated to Kharge and family of Late Manmohan Singh that the government will allocate space for the memorial.

The last rites of former PM Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday at 11:45 PM, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he was the driving force behind economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is best remembered for his contributions to modernising India's economy.

Following his second term, Dr. Singh retired from public life after leading 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.

(With ANI inputs)