'Insult to Manmohan Singh, his community': Rahul Gandhi slams Centre over denial of burial site for former PM
NEW DELHI: The political tussle over the memorial for former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh escalated on Saturday as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government saying that it was a "total insult" to Singh that his last rites were performed at the Nigambodh Ghat instead of an authorised burial site.
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.”
Gandhi further said that Dr Manmohan Singh deserves the highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to the great son of the country and his proud community, Gandhi 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.
The Congress leader pointed out that during a decade, when Dr Singh was the Prime Minister of India, the country became an economic superpower, and his policies still support the poor and 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 Nigambodh Ghat? Why this disparity? Such selective treatment is deeply disheartening."
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also called on the BJP to clarify its stance and demanded an apology to Singh's family and the Sikh community for refusing to allocate space within the Rajghat complex in Delhi for his last rites.
"Manmohan Singh, a global icon and India's only Sikh prime minister, was denied even 1,000 square yards of land for his cremation and memorial at Rajghat. Almost all former prime ministers were cremated there, but the BJP government refused this basic courtesy to Singh," said AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
On Friday, a political row erupted after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah requesting to hold the funeral of Dr Singh at a place where his memorial can be built.
The government said that 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.
In his letter, Kharge had written that Dr Singh holds a highly revered place in the psyche of the country.
"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 wrote, adding that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature.
"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 had written.
Several Congress leaders including Manish Tewari, Ashok Gehlot, and Sachin Pilot reiterated the demand for the cremation and memorial that is befitting of Singh’s global stature
"The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the government 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.
According to the MHA statement, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has communicated to Kharge that the government will allocate space for the memorial.
Meanwhile, the BJP sharply hit out at Congress, BJP National President JP Nadda accused the Congress of politicising the death of Manmohan Singh, he accused the party of disrespecting him during his tenure. Nadda remarked that Congress, which never gave Singh respect while he was alive, is now using his demise for political gains.
He also accused the party of undermining the dignity of the Prime Minister’s office by elevating Sonia Gandhi as "super PM" over Singh. Nadda pointed to the lack of respect shown by Congress to other leaders, including Dr BR Ambedkar and Sardar Patel, and highlighted the Modi government’s establishment of a memorial for PM Narasimha Rao in 2015, despite Congress's earlier opposition.
Nadda concluded by urging Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, to stop engaging in "cheap politics" over Singh's death.
BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra also came down heavily on Gandhi for stating that the Narendra Modi government disrespected Singh by conducting his funeral at Nigambodh Ghat, whereas for other former prime ministers the last rites were performed at sites where memorials were authorised to be built later.
"It is unfortunate that the BJP has to address a press conference on the subject relating to the funeral of Dr Singh...since his death, the Centre has been preparing to construct a memorial for him," Patra said.