Manmohan Singh most popular his Maruti 800 over BMW: UP minister remembers

“Because the AIG CPT, my duty was to stick with the prime minister always, like his shadow. If just one bodyguard may stick with him, it needed to be me,” he mentioned.

One anecdote Arun shared mirrored Singh’s simplicity — his attachment to his private automotive, a modest Maruti Suzuki 800.

Regardless of having a fleet of high-security automobiles, together with an expensive BMW for official journey, Singh would typically categorical his choice for the modest automotive.

Arun recalled Singh telling him, “Asim, I do not like travelling on this automotive (BMW). My automotive is the Maruti.”

Arun mentioned he would clarify the safety necessities of the high-tech BMW to Singh however the former prime minister’s gaze would at all times flip to the Maruti Suzuki 800 as his motorcade handed by it.

“It was as if he was reaffirming his id as a middle-class man and his dedication to caring for the frequent man. Whereas the BMW may symbolise the grandeur of the prime minister’s place, in his coronary heart, he noticed the Maruti as his automotive,” Arun added.