New Delhi, Dec 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid his last respects to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat. He arrived at the VIP Ghat to attend the last rites which will be held in some time.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also paid tribute to the former Prime Minister. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid his final respects to Dr Manmohan Singh by placing a wreath near his mortal remains.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi paid their last respects to the former Prime Minister. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar also paid tributes to the former Prime Minister.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president and Union Health Minister JP Nadda paid his last respects to the former Prime Minister.

Earlier, Acharya Yogesh Kumar Sharma said that rituals for the cremation ceremony will be performed using sandalwood sticks and the last rites will be performed as per the Sikh rituals.

"The rituals will be performed using sandalwood sticks... The last rites will be performed as per Sikh rituals at the VIP Ghat. Those who are coming for the last rites will reach here including the President, Vice President and Prime Minister. Homage will be offered to him once everyone arrives," Sharma told ANI.

While paying tribute to the late Dr Singh, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry said that he made lifelong laws that benefited crores of people. "His demise is a loss for everyone," he added.

Congress leader Mumtaz Patel said "Today, India has lost a great man. He was not just a good leader but also a very good human being. People called him a weak Prime Minister but it was absolutely wrong. He always worked for the country, he was a strong and kind person."

Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "Today is a very poignant moment. A very fine person, a renowned economist, a world statesperson is not with us today...It is a sad day not only for India but for the world...He lived a very noble and simple life...May his soul rest in peace..."

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it.

Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy.

He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy.

After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections.

(ANI)

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