"Playing Politics": Navjot Sidhu Slams BJP Over Manmohan Singh Memorial Row

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and accused the ruling party of "playing politics."

Attacking BJP further, Mr Sidhu asked how had the party felt if former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had not got a memorial at Rajghat. He further said that this issue is not of one party but of the entire country's history.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Sidhu said, "When a person dies, all enmity vanishes with him... but politics is being played here. I ask a small question if Atal Ji's last rites were to be performed and someone had said that the memorial would not be built at Raj Ghat, it would be built somewhere else, how would you feel?... This issue is not of any party but of the country's history..."

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh slammed the BJP-led central government on the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for Dr Singh, saying that it is unfortunate that leaders even have to talk about this issue.

Mr Singh asked the government to tell the name of any former PM whose last rites were performed at Nigambodh Ghat and not in the Rajghat premises.

Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Singh said, "It is unfortunate that we even have to talk about this. This shows how obnoxious the government's thinking is... I want to ask PM Narendra Modi, why are you not ready to give space for PM Manmohan Singh's last rites in the Rajghat premises? This party calls itself the most cultured? Tell me the name of one former PM whose last rites were performed in Nigambodh... How disrespected the Sikh community must feel..."

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said, "This is not an issue at all, PM Modi's government should have thought about it beforehand. The whole country wants that his last rites should be performed at the same place where his memorial is to be built. This demand is not just of Congress, not just of Punjab and Sikh community, this is a worldwide demand of all Indians. There is no need to think about it, the government should have thought about it beforehand..."

Earlier today, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi launched a scathing attack on Congress for indulging in "politics" over the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh. He said that Congress never respected the former PM.

Mr Trivedi said it was Congress' history that they never respected any leader outside the Gandhi family.

"At least today, in this hour of grief, politics should be avoided," he said, adding that the Modi government has respected all leaders irrespective of the party affiliation by giving Bharat Ratna to former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao, Madan Mohan Malviya and former President Pranab Mukherjee.

On Friday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X.

"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," Mr Kharge wrote in his letter.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Mr Kharge and the family of late 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," the government said.

Manmohan Singh died on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to AIIMS, Delhi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)