'Meri gaddi to ye Maruti 800 hai': Manmohan Singh preferred his humble car over BMW, recalls his former bodyguard

Singh's humility and grounded nature were highlighted in a heartfelt social media memoir by Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Social Welfare (Independent Charge) Asim Arun.

Lucknow: From among the fleet of luxury vehicles having the latest security features, it was the simple and small Maruti 800, which was the preferred car of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Uttar Pradesh minister and Singh's former bodyguard Asim Arun made this revelation in a post on 'X' (formerly Twitter) on Friday.

Arun, who was minister of state for social welfare, sharing this anecdote, said that he was Singh's bodyguard for three years since 2004.

"In the SPG, it is the Closed Protection Team (CPT) which is closest to the PM....I had the opportunity to lead it.....the CPT cannot go away from the PM...it was my responsibility to be with him like his shadow", he said.

"Dr Sahib's only personal car was Maruti 800 which remained parked behind the shining black BMW..... Manmohan Singh ji would often tell me...Aseem I don't like to travel in this car (BMW)", Asim Arun said.

"Meri gaddi to ye (Maruti ) hai ( my car is Maruti)" Singh would say, Arun recalled.

He said that he used to impress upon Singh that the BMW had the security features necessary for the safety of the PM but whenever his cavalcade would pass by the Maruti 800, he would look at it in such a way as if he was "reiterating the commitment that he was a middle class man and that it was his job to think about them".