Memorial space for Manmohan will be allocated: Centre amid BJP-Congress row

he Centre has assured space for Manmohan Singh memorial as BJP accused Congress of politicising his death; Congress calls delay in site allocation disrespectful to the late leader

Just hours before former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's funeral on Saturday (December 28), a controversy erupted over the possibility of creating a memorial in his honour, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the Congress of engaging in "dirty politics" over the matter.

 

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had reportedly spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, suggesting the idea of constructing a memorial for Singh at the site of his last rites.

 

"This is in keeping with the tradition of having memorials for statesmen and former prime ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge stated.

 

Later, the Centre released a statement quoting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who assured that a site for Singh's memorial would be designated, adding that the cremation could proceed in the meantime.

 

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the Centre, questioning its inability to allocate a site for the memorial and describing it as disrespectful to India's first Sikh prime minister.

 

In response, the BJP accused the Congress of politicising Singh's demise. "Congress should recall how they treated former PM Narasimha Rao Ji after his death. The daughter of Shri Pranab Mukherjee also tweeted about how shabbily her father, a former President, was treated by the Congress," the BJP said in a statement.

 

Manmohan Singh, who served as India's prime minister from 2004 to 2014, also held the roles of RBI Governor and Finance Minister under Prime Minister P. Narasimha Rao. He passed away at AIIMS Delhi on Thursday at the age of 92.

 

Singh's mortal remains will be kept at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters from 8:30 am to 9:30 amon Saturday for the public and Congress workers to pay their respects, according to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal. The funeral procession will then move to Nigambodh Ghat, where his last rites will be conducted at 11:45 amwith full state honours.

 

7-day national mourning

 

The central government has announced a seven-day period of national mourning to honour former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away on Thursday night.

 

Throughout this mourning period, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast across the nation, and no official entertainment events will be held. Indian missions and High Commissions abroad have also been directed to lower the flag to half-mast as a tribute.

 

(With agency inputs)