Dr. Manmohan Singh's State Funeral Scheduled at Nigambodh Ghat

 The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will be accorded a State funeral with full military honours. The funeral will take place on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at the Nigambodh Ghat cremation ground in North Delhi at 11:45 a.m.

The mortal remains of Dr. Singh will be placed at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., allowing members of the public and Congress workers to pay their respects. “Dr. Singh’s final journey will commence from the AICC headquarters to the cremation ground at 9:30 a.m.,” stated Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal.

The Congress party expressed dissatisfaction with the choice of location, arguing that a site allowing for the establishment of a memorial would have been more appropriate. A party spokesperson described the decision as a "deliberate insult" to India’s first Sikh Prime Minister.

In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed on Friday, December 27, that the Government has agreed to allocate space for a memorial dedicated to the late Dr. Singh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah conveyed this decision to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge following a Cabinet meeting.

Earlier on Friday, Dr. Singh’s body, draped in the national flag, was kept at his official residence at 3, Motilal Nehru Road, for dignitaries and the public to pay their last respects. Among those who visited to offer their condolences were President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former President Ram Nath Kovind, BJP President J.P. Nadda, and several Union Ministers, including the Home and Defence Ministers.