Manmohan Singh laid to rest with full state honours at Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was laid to rest with full state and military honours at Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday. The cremation, attended by President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MP Rahul Gandhi, and other Union Ministers and Chief Ministers, took place around 1 pm.

King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and Mauritius Foreign Minister, Dhananjay Ramful, were among the foreign dignitaries who paid tribute to Dr Singh. The final rites were performed following Sikh customs. 

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the three service chiefs also paid their last respects to Dr Singh.

Earlier in the day, his mortal remains were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, where party leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, General Secretary Sonia Gandhi, and MP Rahul Gandhi, paid their respects. The final procession, accompanied by Dr Singh’s family, saw a large number of Congress workers and leaders, along with hundreds of his well-wishers, walk along as slogans such as "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega" rent the air.

Dr Singh, who passed away on Thursday night at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at the age of 92, was remembered as a transformative leader and the architect of India’s economic reforms.

He served as India’s Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, leading the nation through a decade of significant growth and development. As a mark of respect, the Union Home Ministry has declared a seven-day national mourning period, during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the country.

On Friday, the Union Home Ministry announced plans to allocate space for a memorial honouring Dr Singh. The ministry has informed both his family and Mallikarjun Kharge, who requested that Dr Singh's last rites be conducted at a location suitable for building the memorial.