Led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Draupadi Murmu, the crowd of mourners waited patiently in the pouring rain at New Delhi’s 3-Motilal Nehru Marg bungalow to pay respects to India’s 14th Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who breathed his last late on Thursday night. Singh was 92.
The government declared a seven-day mourning and a state funeral for the noted economist-politician. The cremation will take place on Saturday.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other senior ministers — Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and JP Nadda — and a host of leaders from across the political spectrum stood patiently in queues to pay homage to Singh, the trailblazer economist who ushered in the era of liberalisation and structural reforms in India.
Modi laid a wreath and was seen briefly talking to Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur. The PM described his predecessor’s death as a big loss to the nation, noting that his achievements as the architect of India’s economic reforms steered the country and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through “challenging times”.
“He (Singh) was seen as pro-economic reforms and guided India through several challenges. He even took reins of the Reserve Bank during tough times; and as Finance Minister brought about economic reforms,” Modi said.
The Gandhi family — Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, her husband Robert Vadra and their children — and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were among the party leaders who had assembled to pay their respects to the departed leader.
After the AIIMS authorities declared that the former PM died at 9.51 pm on Thursday, his body was brought home and kept for people to come and pay homage.
His mortal remains will be shifted to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters at Akbar Road so that people and Congress workers can pay their tributes from 8.30 am to 9.30 am on Saturday. From there, the body will be taken for a State funeral.
PM Modi convened a meeting of the Union Cabinet to pay tributes to Singh. The Cabinet acknowledged that the former PM “has left his imprint on our national life” and announced that the national flag would fly half-mast during the seven-day mourning period which would end on January 1.
“In his passing away, the Nation has lost an eminent statesman, renowned economist and a distinguished leader,” the condolence resolution passed by the Cabinet read.
Singh is survived by his wife and three daughters; Upinder Singh, Daman Singh and Amrit Singh.