'Space will be allocated...': Centre amid tussle over Manmohan's memorial
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said a spot will be reserved for a memorial to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday at 92. Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Singh's family of the decision. The announcement comes after Kharge requested Singh's last rites be performed at a place where his memorial could be built later.
Cremation proceeds amid memorial location controversy
Singh's cremation was set to take place at Nigambodh Ghat, a public crematorium in New Delhi, despite the controversy over the memorial's location. Meanwhile, the MHA clarified that while space for the memorial will be allocated, formalities such as forming a trust were necessary before proceeding. Singh's final journey began from the All India Congress Committee headquarters on Saturday morning and his last rites were conducted with full state honors at Nigambodh Ghat.
Political dispute over memorial location
The row over the memorial's location was further stoked by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's attack on the initial absence of a designated site, calling it a "deliberate insult" to India's first Sikh PM. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denied the allegations, accusing the Congress of politicizing Singh's death. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya advised the Congress to remember how they treated former PM Narasimha Rao after his death. Notably, no memorial was built for Rao.
National leaders pay respects to Manmohan Singh
Prominent national figures, including President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi paid their respects to Singh at his residence on Friday. A seven-day mourning from December 26 to January 1 has been announced for Dr Singh. India's 13th prime minister was best known for his role as an economist and his role as Finance Minister where he ushered in monetary reforms that changed India's economic outlook.
