Manmohan Singh’s Last Rites Near Rajghat Tomorrow

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s last rites will be performed near Rajghat in Delhi tomorrow. His mortal remains will be kept for public display at the Congress headquarters before the funeral.

Dr. Singh’s funeral will take place on Saturday, December 28, and his final rites will be conducted with full state honours, confirmed Congress General Secretary, KC Venugopal. Dr Singh’s final journey to the heavenly abode will commence from AICC HQ to the cremation ground at 9:30 am.

Although Dr Manmohan Singh passed away on Thursday, his final rites will be performed after two days because of his daughter’s arrival. Singh’s daughter, who lives in the United States, will reach Delhi late on Friday night, after which the funeral arrangements will proceed, sources said. It is customary that the family be present for the final rites, and this is why the ceremony has been rescheduled for Saturday.

According to sources, the public will be given an opportunity to pay their final respects between 8 to 10 am on Saturday at the Congress headquarters. Key party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, will offer their tributes to the former Prime Minister during this time. After this, the funeral procession will begin its final journey, with Dr Singh’s body being taken to the designated site for cremation.

In response to his passing, the Centre cancelled all scheduled government programs for Friday, December 27. Additionally, a period of seven days – December 26 to January 1 – will be observed as a week of national mourning in honour of the former prime minister. In solidarity with the mourning period, the Congress party also suspended all its official events for the next week.

Today, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and top BJP leaders reached Dr Singh’s residence to pay their last respects to the “visionary leader” and architect of India’s economic reforms. Congress MPs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi also arrived there to pay tributes. Condolences poured in from all ends of the spectrum.