Last rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are to be performed at the Nigambodh Ghat in the national capital on Saturday afternoon.
"Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister passed away at 9.51 PM on December 26, 2024 at AllMS Hospital, New Delhi. It has been decided by the Government that State funeral will be accorded to Dr Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 AM on December 28, 2024 at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi. The Ministry of Defence is requested to make arrangements for State funeral will full military honours," the Ministry of Home Affairs stated.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting that the last rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh be conducted at a location where a memorial could be established.
Kharge made the request following a discussion with Modi about the possibility of creating a memorial for Singh, who served two terms as Prime Minister and was highly respected across India.
In his letter, Kharge said, "Following our telephonic conversation this morning, I have requested that Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, scheduled for 28th December 2024, be held at a site that would serve as a sacred venue for a memorial to this great son of India."
Kharge emphasized that this request aligns with the tradition of establishing memorials for statesmen and former Prime Ministers at their final resting places.
Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening 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 AIIMS Delhi.
Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932. Apart from being an economist, Manmohan Singh served as Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982-1985. He was the 13th PM of India with his tenure from 2004-2014.
He spent five years between 1991 and 1996 as India's Finance Minister and his role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is recognized worldwide. In the popular view of those years in India, that period is inextricably associated with the persona of Singh.
Manmohan Singh's government also introduced the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), which later came to be known as MGNREGA.
The Right to Information Act (RTI) was passed in 2005 under the Manmohan Singh government, which made the transparency of information between the government and the public better.
He retired from the Rajya Sabha earlier this year after serving for 33 years.
