Dr. Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, passed away at 9:51 PM last night at Delhi’s AIIMS hospital. The 92-year-old statesman had been receiving treatment for age-related ailments at his residence in Delhi.
Leaders and personalities from across the nation have expressed their profound grief and paid tribute to Dr. Singh’s enduring contributions to the country.
Among those sharing heartfelt memories is Asim Arun, the current Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Social Welfare, Scheduled Castes, and Tribal Welfare in the Uttar Pradesh government.
Arun, a former IPS officer, also served as Dr. Singh’s bodyguard for three years beginning in 2004. In an emotional social media post, Arun recounted a personal anecdote that highlights Dr. Singh’s simplicity and his deep concern for the common people.
“I had the privilege of being Dr. Manmohan Singh’s bodyguard for nearly three years, starting in 2004. The SPG (Special Protection Group) has the innermost security ring for the Prime Minister, known as the Close Protection Team (CPT), which I had the honor of leading. As the AIG of the CPT, my job was to stay close to the Prime Minister at all times — like his shadow,” Arun wrote.
He shared a touching memory about Dr. Singh’s down-to-earth nature: “Dr. Singh had only one car of his own, a Maruti 800, which was often parked behind the shiny black BMW at the PM’s residence. Despite having access to the luxurious BMW, he would often tell me, ‘Aseem, I don’t like to travel in this car; this is my car,’ referring to the Maruti. I would explain to him that the BMW was chosen for its security features, not luxury, as mandated by the SPG. But every time the convoy passed by the Maruti, he would gaze at it with fondness, almost as though reaffirming to himself, ‘I am a middle-class person, and my job is to look out for the common man.’ The luxurious car belonged to the PM, but the Maruti was truly his.”
Reports indicate that on Thursday evening, Dr. Singh suddenly lost consciousness and was rushed to AIIMS at around 8 PM. Despite efforts by doctors to revive him, all attempts proved unsuccessful, and he was declared dead at 9:51 PM.
मैं 2004 से लगभग तीन साल उनका बॉडी गार्ड रहा। एसपीजी में पीएम की सुरक्षा का सबसे अंदरुनी घेरा होता है – क्लोज़ प्रोटेक्शन टीम जिसका नेतृत्व करने का अवसर मुझे मिला था। एआईजी सीपीटी वो व्यक्ति है जो पीएम से कभी भी दूर नहीं रह सकता। यदि एक ही बॉडी गार्ड रह सकता है तो साथ यह बंदा… pic.twitter.com/468MO2Flxe
— Asim Arun (@asim_arun) December 26, 2024
