Even as the selection of a site of a memorial for former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, which sparked a massive political slugfest, is underway, the Union government has decided to build one for his former Congress colleague and ex-President Pranab Mukherjee.
Taking to X on Tuesday, Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of Mr Mukherjee, who was the President of India between 2012 and 2017 and died in 2020, said she had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thanked him for the government’s decision to construct a memorial for her father. Sharing a copy of a letter stating that the memorial will be erected within the ‘Rashtriya Smriti Sthal’ – the designated memorial complex for Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Prime Ministers – in Rajghat, Ms Mukherjee said the family will cherish the decision more because it did not ask for the memorial to be constructed.
“Called on Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji to express thanks & gratitude from core of my heart 4 his govts’ decision 2 create a memorial 4 baba. It’s more cherished considering that we didn’t ask for it. Immensely touched by this unexpected but truly gracious gesture by PM,” Ms Mukherjee, who is also a former Congress leader, wrote.
“Baba used to say that State honours shouldn’t be asked for, it should be offered. I’m so grateful that PM Modi did this to honour babas’ memory. It doesnt affect baba where he is now- beyond applaud or criticism. But for his daughter, words are not sufficient to express my joy (sic),” she added.
After former PM Manmohan Singh died on December 26 and his funeral was planned at the Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had written to PM Modi and asked for Dr Singh’s last rites to be held at a site where his memorial could be constructed.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had also hit out at the Centre and said people were unable to understand why the government could not find a suitable location for the former PM’s cremation and memorial.
“This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh,” Mr Ramesh had said.
Hitting back, the BJP had said it was ironic that the Congress was reminding the government about traditions but had never built a memorial for former PM Narasimha Rao.
“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,” BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan had said.
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Wading into the debate, Ms Mukherjee had said that when her father had died in 2020, the Congress had not called a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, and suggested she had been misled.
“When baba passed away, Congress didnt even bother 2 call CWC 4 condolence meeting. A senior leader told me it’s not done 4 Presidents. Thats utter rubbish as I learned later from baba’s diaries that on KR Narayanan’s death, CWC was called & condolence msg was drafted by baba only (sic),” she wrote on X.
As the row escalated, the Home Ministry said a suitable memorial site would be chosen for Dr Singh. Sources had said last week that the process of identifying a site, including the ‘Rashtriya Smriti Sthal’, for the former PM has begun and the government is in touch with his family.
