Congress Seeks Space For Memorial To Manmohan Singh, Writes To PM

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about exploring the possibility of building a memorial to Manmohan Singh at the same site where the last rites would be held, the party said today.

Manmohan Singh, who died of age-related medical issues at 92, was prime minister for two terms in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2004 to 2014. He had been in poor health for the last few months.

"Apropos our telephonic conversation today morning, wherein I made a request 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 memorial of the great son of India," Mr Kharge said in the letter, which was posted by the Congress on X.

"This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former prime ministers at the very place of their funerals," the Congress chief said.

आज कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री @kharge ने प्रधानमंत्री जी और गृह मंत्री से फ़ोन पर बात करके व एक पत्र लिख कर भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस की ओर से पुरज़ोर अनुरोध किया कि भारत के सपूत सरदार मनमोहन सिंह जी का अंतिम संस्कार व स्मारक स्थापित करना ही उनको सच्ची श्रद्धांजलि होगी। pic.twitter.com/pNxh5txf0b

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 27, 2024

BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan shot back at the Congress over what he called the opposition party's "ironic" behaviour.

"It is indeed ironic that a Congress President is writing to PM Narendra Modi ji about traditions and the funeral place becoming the sacrosanct venue for a memorial. One should remind Kharge ji how the Congress-led UPA government never built a memorial in Delhi for former PM Narasimha Rao ji, who passed away in 2004," Mr Kesavan said.

"The Congress never built a memorial for him in the 10 years they were in power from 2004-2014. It was only PM Modi ji in 2015 who instituted a memorial for Narasimha Rao ji and honoured him posthumously in 2024 with the Bharat Ratna. Media adviser to Manmohan ji, Sanjaya Baru claimed in his book that the Congress did not want Rao's cremation to take place in Delhi, but rather in Hyderabad, and that he had been approached to convey this to Rao's children," the BJP spokesperson said.

It is indeed ironic that a Congress President is writing to PM @narendramodi ji about traditions & the funeral place becoming the sacrosanct venue for a memorial. One should remind Kharge ji how the Congress led UPA Govt never built a memorial in Delhi for former PM Narasimha... pic.twitter.com/nt59JttvrX

— C.R.Kesavan (@crkesavan) December 27, 2024

"The cremation did take place in Hyderabad, with Rao's body not even laid in state at the All India Congress Committee's headquarters. The historical sins of the unprincipled Congress will never be forgotten nor forgiven by our nation," he said.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, however, in a strongly worded statement said people are unable to understand why the Centre could not find a location for the former prime minister's cremation and memorial.

"... This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh," Mr Ramesh said in a post on X.

Earlier this morning, Congress President had written to the Prime Minister, suggesting that the cremation of the former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, take place at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy.

The people of our country are simply unable...

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 27, 2024

The last rites will be performed at the Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi tomorrow.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the tradition of respect should be followed in the context of the samadhi of the former prime minister.

"There is no need for any politics on this issue, nor should there be. Dr Manmohan Singh's samadhi should be built at Raj Ghat only. BJP should not present an inappropriate example of its narrow thinking. History will never forgive the BJP for its negative outlook," Mr Yadav said.

Apart from being an economist, Manmohan Singh served as Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982 to 1985.

In the five years he spent between 1991 and 1996 as Union Finance Minister, his role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is recognised worldwide. In the popular view of those years in India, that period is inextricably associated with the persona of Manmohan Singh.

His government also introduced the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), which later came to be known as MGNREGA.

The Right to Information Act (RTI) was passed in 2005 under his government, which made the transparency of information between the government and the public better. He retired from the Rajya Sabha earlier this year after serving for 33 years.