MS Gill laid to rest, wreath placed on ex-PM Manmohan Singh’s behalf

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, October 16

Former union minister and chief election commissioner Manohar Singh Gill was on Monday consigned to flames at the Lodhi crematorium here.

The last rites of the former bureaucrat-turned-politician were attended by a host of leaders including Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, BJP leaders Manjinder Singh Sirsa and RP Singh, human rights activist HS Phoolka, former vice chancellor of Punjabi University Patiala SS Boparai and former deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Mohinder Singh, Director of Bhai Vir Singh Sadan, a premiere literary institution in the capital, laid a wreath on the behalf of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur. Manmohan Singh is the president of the Sadan.

“Dr Manmohan Singh and MS Gill’s families go back a long way and have very close ties,” Mohinder Singh told The Tribune.

Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Vikramjit Singh Sahney, former MP Brinda Karat, chairman, National Commission of Minorities Iqbal Singh Lalpura, former MP Tarlochan Singh, Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann and director, Tibet House Geshé Dorji Damdul were also there for the final send-off of Gill, who passed away at a private hospital on Sunday after a brief illness.

Wreaths were laid on behalf of IAS Association Punjab and World Punjabi Organization which is headed by Sahney.

Several former bureaucrats and officials of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee were also there to stand with the family.

Gill is survived by wife Vinnie and three daughters.