Narendra Modi keeps away from Nitish Kumar at NDC

New Delhi, December 28: If Nitish Kumar feared that being accosted by Narendra Modi at the NDC meeting would make bad PR for him, the Gujarat strongman was not interested.

Fresh from his third victory in the state and seeing himself as a strong PM candidate, Modi kept away from his Bihar counterpart who has not hidden his hostility towards him.

It marked a big change from the past when the Gujarat CM clasped Kumar's hands at the final NDA rally in Ludhiana ahead of the 2009 polls. The picture was not liked by Kumar who later flew into a rage when BJP put up posters during Bihar elections with the Ludhiana picture and details on how Gujarat government had made generous donations for flood relief in the state. Kumar, in fact, forced BJP to keep Modi out of the Bihar election campaign.

All this did not stop Modi from going up to Kumar for a handshake at the NDC meeting last year, if only to intensify attempts to increase his acceptability among NDA partners.

This time, though, it was different. Modi kept away from the 'gatecrash handshake' with Kumar who is known to live in dread of being ambushed by the Gujarat chief minister.

The two satraps appeal to different audiences. While Kumar has emerged as a choice for Muslims despite being a BJP ally, Modi has the stigma of 2002 riots that refuses to go away. The Bihar CM thinks perception of proximity to the Gujarat leader would be bad for his appeal among Muslims while making him vulnerable to attacks from rivals like Lalu Prasad and Ramvilas Paswan.

Though Modi has been trying hard to be seen as acceptable to allies, using his swearing in to showcase some of them, he may have felt that accosting Kumar again would show him as desperate.

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Farewell, Dr Manmohan Singh! Last rites performed with state honours as nation pays tribute

News Network

December 28,2024

New Delhi: The mortal remains of former prime minister Manmohan Singh were consigned to flames at the Nigambodh Ghat here on Saturday amid the chanting of religious hymns.

The funeral pyre was lit by his eldest daughter Upinder Singh. Sikh priests, family members of former PM Manmohan Singh recite verses from Gurbani before his last rites.

The last rites were performed in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other top leaders and foreign dignitaries.

Top leaders, including foreign dignitaries, on Saturday paid their last respects to former prime minister Manmohan Singh at Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat.

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful were among the foreign dignitaries to paid tributes to Singh.

Besides President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, 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 were among the top leaders who paid their last tributes to the former prime minister at the crematorium.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the three services chiefs also paid their last respects to Singh.

Draped in the Tricolour, the flower-bedecked casket was placed at a raised platform, where leaders cutting across party lines laid wreaths on Singh's mortal remains.

India's relations with several key countries, including Bhutan and Mauritius, saw a significant upswing during Singh's prime ministership.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers also paid their last respects to Singh at Nigambodh Ghat.funeral of ex-PM Manmohan Singh.

Earlier, the final journey of 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 inside the AICC headquarters for about an hour, with several top leaders of the Congress, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, paying their last respects, among others.

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

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and several ex-Union ministers were among those who paid tributes to the former PM.

Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu were also there.

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

In light of the state funeral, traffic officials have issued advisory implementing key diversions and restrictions in place from 7 am to 3 pm across the city.

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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