Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a key architect of the country's economic liberalisation in the early 1990s, was cremated with full state honours in New Delhi today.
The cremation, held at Nigambodh Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna River, included a ceremonial guard of honour and a 21-gun salute.
Singh's daughter lit the funeral pyre, witnessed by top Indian leaders and foreign dignitaries.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid wreaths on his mortal remains, alongside foreign dignitaries such as Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful.
Among the Indian dignitaries present were Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi accompanied the procession alongside Singh's relatives including his wife Gursharan Kaur and daughter.
The procession began at Singh's residence on Motilal Nehru Marg, with his mortal remains draped in the national flag.
The body was taken to the Congress headquarters, where party leaders, workers, and well-wishers paid their respects.
Chants of "Manmohan Singh amar rahe" (Long live Manmohan Singh) and "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega" (As long as the sun and moon endure, your name will endure) echoed during the procession.
Singh passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age-related complications at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). A seven-day national mourning has been declared, during which the national flag will fly at half-mast across the country.
The government has agreed to a Congress request for space to establish a memorial for Singh. The announcement came late night, hours after Congress expressed concern over the matter.
In 2013, Singh's own cabinet, under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, had decided to create a common memorial ground due to limited space in Delhi.
Singh stepped down as prime minister in May 2014 after Congress lost the general election.
Source: the daily star