New Delhi: A political dispute has erupted over the lst rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with the Congress expressing dissatisfaction over the government’s decision to finalise Nigambodh Ghat as the venue. During a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Priyanka Gandhi suggested that a portion of Veer Bhumi or Shakti Sthal be allocated for the last rites, allowing the site to also serve as a memorial for Singh.
The proposal was communicated to the government after Kharge’s phone call, during which the government requested two to four days to consider the request. However, despite Congress’s insistence, the government confirmed Nigambodh Ghat as the venue and refrained from providing any assurance about a memorial site. Reacting to this decision, Priyanka Gandhi criticised it as an act of disrespect toward Manmohan Singh.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting that the last rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh be held at a location suitable for establishing a memorial in his honour. Kharge’s letter followed a phone conversation with Modi, during which he emphasized the importance of creating a memorial for Singh, a two-term prime minister deeply respected across the nation.
“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, ” Kharge said.
