PM, Sonia pay tribute to Arjun Singh

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other leaders on Saturday paid tribute to veteran Congress leader Arjun Singh, who died of cardiac arrest a day earlier at the age of 80.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other leaders on Saturday paid tribute to veteran Congress leader Arjun Singh, who died of cardiac arrest a day earlier at the age of 80.

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Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi visited the former union minister's 17, Akbar Road residence where his body has been kept and expressed their condolences to the grieving family. According to a family member, his body will be flown to hometown Churhat in Madhya Pradesh, where the last rites will be performed Sunday.

The Congress working committee also held a special meeting on Saturday to condole Arjun Singh's death, a party office-bearer said.

The CWC meeting - the first after its formation on Friday - was held at 10, Janpath, the residence of party chief Sonia Gandhi. Besides Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, senior ministers AK Antony and Pranab Mukherjee and other leaders also attended the meeting.

Condolence meetings were held at various Pradesh Congress Committee offices too.

Arjun Singh, a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, died of cardiac arrest at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Friday evening. He was 80. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.