As India prepares to bid farewell to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, a political controversy has emerged over the establishment of a memorial in his honor. Dr. Singh, who passed away on Thursday at AIIMS Delhi at the age of 92, will be laid to rest today at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi with full state honors. However, the debate surrounding the memorial has drawn sharp exchanges between the Congress and the BJP.
The Congress, led by its president Mallikarjun Kharge, has proposed a memorial for Dr. Singh at the site of his cremation, citing the tradition of honoring statesmen and former prime ministers at their funeral locations. Kharge raised this issue directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, urging him to explore the possibility of commemorating Dr. Singh’s legacy appropriately.
In response, the Centre, through a press release, stated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured that a location for the memorial would be allocated. Shah emphasized that the cremation and formalities should proceed without delay, promising the government’s commitment to honoring Dr. Singh.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Centre, stating that the delay in identifying a location for the memorial was an affront to the memory of India’s first Sikh prime minister. He expressed disappointment at what he described as the lack of respect for a leader who had contributed immensely to the nation’s progress.
The BJP hit back, accusing the Congress of politicizing Dr. Singh’s death. The party pointed to past instances, including the alleged neglect of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and former President Pranab Mukherjee, to question the Congress’s commitment to respecting its own leaders. A BJP statement urged the Congress to refrain from “dirty politics” and instead focus on the solemn occasion.
Dr. Manmohan Singh served as India’s Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 and was widely respected for his statesmanship and economic acumen. He also headed the Reserve Bank of India and served as Finance Minister under Narasimha Rao, playing a pivotal role in India’s economic liberalization.
This morning, Dr. Singh’s mortal remains were placed at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters for an hour, allowing Congress workers and the public to pay their last respects. His final journey began at 9:30 am from the Congress headquarters to Nigambodh Ghat, where the last rites will take place at 11:45 am with full state honors.
