A row has broken out over a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, prompting the BJP to ask Congress to refrain from playing politics in his name. The Congress party had proposed building a memorial to Dr Singh at the same site where his last rites would be held.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had spoken to PM Narendra Modi about exploring this possibility, citing a tradition of having memorials for statesmen and former prime ministers near their funeral sites. However, the Centre said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had allocated a place for Dr Singh’s memorial, allowing other formalities to proceed in the meantime.
The BJP has hit back at Congress, accusing them of playing dirty politics over Dr Singh’s death. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has criticized the BJP’s stance, calling it an insult to India’s first Sikh Prime Minister. The BJP has cited how the Congress party treated former PM Narasimha Rao after his death and the treatment of Shri Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter.
Dr Singh served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 and also headed the Reserve Bank of India. He died on Thursday at the age of 92, with his mortal remains set to be kept at the AICC headquarters for an hour before being taken to the cremation ground on Saturday.
Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/space-will-be-allocated-centre-vs-congress-over-manmohan-singh-memorial-7347886