PM Manmohan Singh gets standing ovation from personal staff

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was given a standing ovation by his staff at South Block on Tuesday during a farewell they hosted for him. It also saw some moist eyes. [caption id=“attachment_1521475” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will demit office on 17 May. AFP[/caption] Around 110 staff of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) gathered at South Block to give a farewell to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who steps down on 17 May after a decade at the helm of the country. “The staff gave the prime minister a standing ovation,” a PMO official told IANS, adding that the staff presented him with a bouquet. Manmohan Singh told the PMO staff: “I am very thankful to you all for your service. May god bless you.” Some of the staff who have interacted with the prime minister during the 10 years of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule were seen wiping away their tears, the official added. Present along with Manmohan Singh were National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Principal Secretary Pulok Chatterjee, Prime Minister’s Advisor TKA Nair and his Media Advisor Pankaj Pachauri. Some TV journalists and news photographers were present at the occasion. https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/466128641357664256 IANS