HYDERABAD: Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday slammed the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders for trying to politicise the funeral of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Addressing the media at the party office here, he alleged that the nation is disappointed and disheartened by the attempts of Sonia Gandhi’s family and Congress leaders to politicise the funeral of the former PM.
“Manmohan Singh was deeply respected by all Indians. The Congress leaders’ words and actions are shameful and reflect their lack of integrity,” he said.
Kishan, who is also the president of the state BJP, accused Sonia and Rahul of humiliating Manmohan Singh when he was the prime minister. “They dictated terms to him for over 10 years. They insulted him on several occasions,” he said and added that Manmohan’s contributions will never be forgotten.
The Union minister also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as soon as he heard about Manmohan’s demise, made a decision to conduct his final rites with full state honours. He also said that the government will establish a trust, in consultation with Manmohan Singh’s wife.
Kishan also accused the Congress of consistently mistreating former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao and former president Pranab Mukherjee.
“Rahul Gandhi once tore an ordinance approved by Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet, calling it a ‘nonsense’ in public,” he recalled and said that Rahul is known for politicising every issue and making reckless statements.
He slammed the Congress leader for travelling to Vietnam for New Year celebrations, especially when several states declared seven days of mourning.
Kishan also said that the Congress failed to honour PV Narasimha Rao while the Modi-led BJP government awarded him the Bharat Ratna in 2024.