New Delhi (PTI): The final journey of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh began from the AICC headquarters on Saturday morning after Congress leaders paid homage to their departed leader.

The flower-bedecked vehicle carrying the mortal remains of Singh left the Congress headquarters in a procession amid chants of "Manmohan Singh amar rahe".

A large number of Congress workers and leaders along with hundreds of Singh's well-wishers walked along as "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega" slogans rent the air.

Former Congress chief and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also accompanied the procession alongside Singh's relatives.

Singh's mortal remains were taken to the AICC headquarters from his residence on 3, Motilal Nehru Road a little before 9 AM.

The mortal remains were kept there for about an hour, with several top Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, paying their last respects, among others.

Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and one of their daughters also laid a wreath on his body and paid their last respects.

Meanwhile, the funeral preparations were being given final touches at the Nigambodh Ghat where the last rites of the former prime minister would be performed at 11.45 am with full state honours.

Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences due to age-related medical complications. He was 92.

Considered the architect of India's economic reforms, Singh served as the prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

A seven-day national mourning is being observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to the former prime minister during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the nation, the Union Home Ministry has announced.

 

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Bhopal, Dec 28: A 10-year-old boy fell into an open borewell in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district on Saturday evening and a rescue operation was underway, officials said.

The incident took place in Raghogarh area.

Sumit Meena, the boy, slipped into the open shaft of the borewell at Pipliya village, about 50 km from Guna district headquarters, about 5 pm.

He was trapped at a depth of around 39 feet, Raghogarh Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh told PTI from the spot.

A parallel pit has been dug to rescue him, he said.

While police started the rescue operation immediately, a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had also arrived from Bhopal, the MLA said.

Oxygen was being pumped into the borewell, he said.