LIVE | India bids farewell to Manmohan Singh, last rites conducted with state honours
Considered the architect of India's economic reforms, Singh served as the prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms and a consensus builder in the rough world of politics, was laid to rest with full state honours at Delhi's Nighambodh Ghat on Saturday (December 28).
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were prominent among those who paid last respects to the departed leader before his last rites.
The procession carrying Singh's mortal remains reached the crematorium at around 11.30 pm.
Earlier, the final journey of Singh began from the AICC headquarters on Saturday morning after Congress leaders paid homage to their departed leader.
The flower-bedecked vehicle carrying the mortal remains of Singh left the Congress headquarters in a procession amid chants of "Manmohan Singh amar rahe".
A large number of Congress workers and leaders along with hundreds of Singh's well-wishers walked along as "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega" slogans rent the air.
Former Congress chief and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also accompanied the procession alongside Singh's relatives.
Singh's mortal remains were taken to the AICC headquarters from his residence on 3, Motilal Nehru Road a little before 9 AM.
The mortal remains were kept there for about an hour, with several top Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, paying their last respects, among others.
Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and one of their daughters also laid a wreath on his body and paid their last respects.
Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences due to age-related medical complications. He was 92.
Considered the architect of India's economic reforms, Singh served as the prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.
A seven-day national mourning is being observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to the former prime minister during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the nation, the Union Home Ministry has announced.
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