Hours before former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is laid to rest, a heated debate has erupted between BJP and Congress over the proposal for a memorial in his honor. The controversy has prompted sharp exchanges between the BJP and Congress, overshadowing the solemnity of the occasion.
On Friday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider constructing a memorial for Dr. Singh at the site of his cremation. Kharge mentioned that the tradition of installing memorials for former prime ministers at their funeral sites has been in place for decades.
In response, the government assured that a site for the memorial would be allocated. Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, said that while the cremation and related ceremonies could happen as planned, the proposal for the memorial would be addressed appropriately.
BJP and Congress exchange words ahead of Manmohan Singh memorial
The Congress, however, criticized the government for not finalizing a location before the funeral. Senior leader Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP of disrespecting India’s first Sikh Prime Minister by calling the delay an insult to Dr. Singh’s legacy.
BJP countered that the Congress had politicized the death of the former prime minister. In a statement, the party compared the treatment given by Congress to former leaders, like PV Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee, while pointing out what it termed as double standards.
Dr. Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday at AIIMS Delhi at the age of 92, was India’s prime minister between 2004 and 2014. He was also known as an economist, besides being Finance Minister under PV Narasimha Rao and Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
His mortal remains will be placed at the Congress headquarters from 8:30 am to 9:30 am Saturday so that party workers and citizens can pay their tributes. The final journey will then begin to Nigambodh Ghat, where the last rites will be performed at 11:45 am with full state honors.
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