RIP Manmohan Singh | Ex PM's funeral to be held on December 28; Last rites will take place at Nigambodh Ghat

Government didn't entertain a request from the Congress to cremate him at a place where a memorial for the “great son of India” could be built.

New Delhi: The last rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will take place at ‘Nigambodh Ghat’ in North Delhi on Saturday with full state honours even as the government did not entertain a request from the Congress to cremate him at a place where a memorial for the “great son of India” could be built.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the funeral will be held at the Ghat at 11:45 AM.

A state mourning has been declared for seven days till January 1 when the national flag will be flown half-mast while all central government offices and Central Public Sector Units will remain closed for half-day.

Sources said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the morning and later followed it up with a letter in which he requested that Singh’s final resting place be a “sacrosanct venue” where a memorial could be built.

However, sources said, the government was not inclined and suggested cremation at Nigambodh Ghat while indicating they could discuss on a location for his memorial at a suitable place in the next three-four days. Congress sources said the party as well as family were for conducting the last rites at a place where they could build the memorial.

In his letter, Kharge said his request was keeping with the tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals. Listing Singh’s contributions, the Congress president said the former Prime Minister holds a “highly revered place in the psyche of the country and the people”.

Kharge reminded that the country today reaps the benefits of the robust economic foundations built by him after fighting a grave economic crisis. Sources said Congress General Secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal also raised the issue with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Incidentally, it was the UPA government that had decided to have a common memorial ground – Rashtriya Smriti Sthal – near Raj Ghat due to paucity of space. The demand comes at a time Congress faces accusations that it ignores leaders outside Gandhi family and critics cite how the body of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao was not allowed to be kept in Congress headquarters

While a host of leaders and public paid their respects to Singh at his 3, Motilal Nehru Marg residence on Friday, his mortal remains will be taken to Congress headquarters at 8 AM to enable Congress workers and others to pay their respect. At 9:30 AM, the body will be taken to Nigambodh Ghat in a procession.

On Friday as a host of world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recalled Singh's contributions, top Indian leadership President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra and Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited his residence.

Former president Ram Nath Kovind, Speaker Om Birla, BJP chief JP Nadda, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, Chief Ministers MK Stalin, N Chandrababu Naidu, Revanth Reddy and Atishi and senior leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Yadav, KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera and TR Baalu among others also visited Singh’s residence.

A number of common people also paid their respects to Singh at his residence, braving heavy rains during the day