The mortal remains of senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Arjun Singh were brought in Sidhi on Saturday from Delhi in a special Indian Air Force helicopter.

His last rites will be performed on Sunday near Churhat’s Rao Sagar pond with full state honours.

The chopper carrying the body of the departed leader landed at Panwar airstrip in the district.

Large number of people raised slogans like ‘Arjun Singh Amar Rahe’ when the helicopter touched the base.

Singh’s two sons, Ajay and Abhimanyu, daughter Veena Singh and his long time personal assistant, Mohammad Yunus, also arrived in the same helicopter.

From the airstrip, Singh’s body will be taken to his ancestral village Sada Shivrajpur to enable people to pay their last respect to the departed leader, Congress sources said.

President, VP, PM, Sonia condole Arjun Singh’s death

President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader L K Advani condoled the death of veteran Congress leader Arjun Singh and described him as a “towering personality”.

In her message, Patil said Singh was a veteran public personality and the important responsibilities given to him during his long career showed the acumen and ability he possessed.

His contribution to Parliamentary debates were recognised through his being honoured with an outstanding Parliamentarian award in 2000.

In his passing away, the nation as well as the state of Madhya Pradesh has lost a towering personality, Patil said.

Dr. Singh said Arjun Singh will be remembered for his deep concern for the welfare of the disadvantaged sections and for promoting the cause of equality and social justice in the country.

“He was an able administrator, experienced legislator and a leader who had strong ties with people,” Dr. Singh said and added that he was “deeply grieved” to over the sad demise of the leader.

The Prime Minister noted that Singh held a number of sensitive and important assignments during his career, “notably the office of the Minister of HRD” in central government for eight years and had a distinguished career in Parliament.

Vice President Hamid Ansari and Sonia Gandhi also expressed their “deep sorrow” at Singh’s death.

Senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Rajnath Singh too conveyed their condolences to Singh’s family.

“I am extremely sad to hear about the passing away of Arjun Singh. With his demise, Indian politics has lost a veteran who had competently discharged numerous responsibilities in public life, and served Madhya Pradesh and the country,” Advani said in a statement.

CWC condoles Arjun Singh’s death

An emergency meeting of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee on Saturday condoled the demise of senior party leader Arjun Singh.

The meeting, chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi, passed a resolution describing Singh as a symbol of secular values in Indian politics.

It said Singh had always fought against communal forces.

The resolution also said that Singh’s efforts to uplift tribals, dalits and the under privileged will be remembered for a long time.

The 81-year-old Congress leader died on Friday after a heart attack.

Party General Secretary and media department Chief Janardan Dwivedi said Singh’s body will be taken to his home town Churhat in Madhya Pradesh where the last rites will be performed on Sunday.

Senior party leaders Pranab Mukherjee and Mohsina Kidwai will attend the cremation.

The meeting was attended by all CWC members, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In the CWC reshuffle on Friday, Singh was dropped from the party’s highest policy making body and made a Permanent Invitee.