New Delhi [India], December 28: President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday paid her final respects to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Nigam Bodh Ghat in New Delhi.
The state funeral was attended by top national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The funeral was held with full military honours at the VIP Ghat, where the last rites were conducted according to Sikh traditions, using sandalwood sticks. Acharya Yogesh Kumar Sharma explained that the rituals were carried out as per Sikh customs, with homage being offered once all dignitaries, including the President, Vice President, and Prime Minister, arrived.
Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah, Defence Minister Singh, and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar were among those who paid their respects to Singh. Congress leaders Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi also attended the ceremony.
Manmohan Singh, who passed away at the age of 92 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Thursday, served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He played a pivotal role in India’s economic reforms during his tenure as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996. His leadership is remembered for steering India through critical economic crises and for his efforts in modernizing the country’s economy.
Singh retired from active politics after his second term as Prime Minister, following the loss of the Congress-led UPA government in the 2014 general elections.