'Owe him personally for his large heart': Nara Lokesh bids emotional farewell to Manmohan Singh

Hyderabad: As former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was laid to rest, Andhra Pradesh's young minister, Nara Lokesh, recollected Singh's statesmanship.

He recollected how Dr Singh had immediately obliged to Lokesh's father, N Chandrababu Naidu's, personal request for NSG security cover in 2004 when the TDP was in opposition and Congress was in power.

“As India mourns the passing of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, I am reminded of his large-heartedness and graciousness towards our family. The year 2004 was a particularly difficult time for us. Our leader N Chandrababu Naidu had recently recovered from an attempt on his life after a dangerous bomb blast by naxals near Tirupati and the TDP had just lost the 2004 elections. At this crucial time, the new state government had moved to reduce security cover to Naidu garu. This would've prevented him from being with the people and representing their issues," he said in a post on X.

"At this time, Naidu garu met the then-prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and personally requested him to restore security cover citing the recent attacks on his life and the heightened threat perception as was ascertained by security agencies. Regardless of the fact that we were from an opposition party, Dr Manmohan Singh immediately said that Naidu garu is important to the nation, and against the wishes of the then state government, gave instructions to restore full security led by NSG commandos to Naidu garu,” recollected Lokesh.

He further said in fact, he specifically told Naidu garu that by the time you go back to Hyderabad, NSG security cover will be ready for you. “Dr Manmohan Singh was a rare statesman, and as a family we owe him personally for his large heart. Fare well sir. You will be missed,” said Lokesh in a heartfelt social media post.

Meanwhile, Telangana has called for a special session of the state legislature to pay homage to Dr Singh on Monday. State assembly secretary Narasimha Charyulu informed the Members through letters on Saturday that a special session has been convened at 10 am on Monday.

It is learnt that the session will be conducted to pay tributes to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away on Thursday night.