Manmohan Singh granted leave from Winter Session on health grounds

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu granted leave to former Prime Minister and member of the Upper House Dr Manmohan Singh from the Winter Session

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday granted leave to former Prime Minister and member of the Upper House Dr Manmohan Singh from the Winter Session of the House taking cognizance of his illness.

The Chairman made the announcement after the papers were laid on the table.

Citing a letter received from Singh seeking permission of the House to grant him leave from the ongoing Winter Session on health grounds, the Chairman approved leave to the senior Congress leader.

"A letter has been received from Dr Manmohan Singh in which he has expressed his inability to attend the Winter Session citing illness. The permission to remain absent is grantedHe has been granted leave from the entire Winter Session from November 29 to December 23," said the Chairman.

Singh, 89, has been facing health issues for some time. He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi in October in the cardio neuro section of the institute for heart ailment.

Singh has already undergone several cardiac bypass surgeries in past. The latest surgery was conducted on him in January 2009.

Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, leads an active public life. In April 2020, he was appointed as the chief of an internal 11 member committee to formalize the Congress party's stand on key national issues particularly in the backdrop of the spread of coronavirus pandemic by party president Sonia Gandhi.