Rahul Gandhi Slams Government Over Denial of Memorial for Manmohan Singh

Rahul Gandhi: As opposition politics grew heated over the memorial to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government, saying it was an insult heaped upon Singh to have his last rites conducted at the Nigambodh Ghat rather than at a designated burial ground.

In a post on X, the Leader of Opposition In Lok Sabha said, “The great son of Mother India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji has been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites today at the Nigam Bodh Ghat.”

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Besides, Gandhi said, Dr Manmohan Singh needs the highest respect and memorial. The government should have paid respect to the great son of the nation and the proud community, he said.

"To date, respecting the dignity of all former Prime Ministers, their last rites were performed at authorized burial sites so that every person could have the last darshan and pay homage without any inconvenience,” he said.

He also pointed out that during the whole decade that Dr Singh was the Prime Minister of India, the latter emerged as an economic superpower, and his policies continue to favor the poor backward classes of the country.

Echoing the view, Congress MP Manickam Tagore posted an old video of the funeral of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and wrote on X, “Atalji was honoured with a separate memorial for his funeral, yet Dr. Manmohan Singh is to be laid to rest in Nymbodh Ghat? Why this disparity? Such selective treatment is deeply disheartening.”

On Friday, the political tussle erupted when Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah requesting Dr Singh's funeral at a place where a memorial could be built.

However, the government said, it will allocate space for a memorial later.

“Meanwhile cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it," said a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday.

“I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh’s last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals,” he said.

“While his contributions and achievements are phenomenal, I would like to dwell here on some of his very significant accomplishments. His erudition on economic and fiscal matters comes from his vast experience as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India and various other capacities in several organizations,” Kharge said.

“The respect and regard that the world leaders had for Dr Manmohan Singh bears testimony to this fact. His wise counsel, leadership and contribution in mitigating the global economic financial crisis is well acknowledged. As I recall, President Obama during his tenure as President of the US mentioned Dr. Singh and remarked that “Whenever the Indian Prime Minister speaks, the whole world listens to him,” he said

“In view of the foregoing, I hope and trust that befitting the stature of Dr Manmohan Singh, the above request to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built will be acceded to,” Kharge said.

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Then, many more Congress leaders including Manish Tewari, Ashok Gehlot, and Sachin Pilot, repeated the demand for deferring the cremation and memorial to the stature befitting the stature of Singh at the international level.

"The people of our country are simply unable to understand why govt of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades," said AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh in a statement on Friday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has informed this to Kharge based on the statement of MHA.

“Today morning, the government received a request to allocate space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh, from the Congress Party President,” the MHA statement read.

“Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it,” it added.

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