Bhubaneswar: BJP Saturday accused the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi of “indulging in politics” over the funeral of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and alleged that the party has “insulted” its own leaders, including ex-PM PV Narasimha Rao, in the past.
Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra also attacked the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha for stating that the Narendra Modi government disrespected Singh by conducting his funeral at the Nigambodh Ghat, whereas for other former Prime Ministers the last rites were performed at sites where memorials could be built later.
Patra also alleged that the grand old party had “insulted” its leaders — Rao, former President Pranab Mukherjee, first President Rajendra Prasad and former deputy PM Vallabhbhai Patel — in the past.
“Since Manmohan Singh’s death, the Centre has been preparing to construct a memorial for him. A Cabinet meeting was called and a condolence message was issued. It was also decided to pay proper respects to the former PM befitting his stature.
“The Cabinet has informed Dr Singh’s family and the Congress that a memorial will be built so that everyone can remember his positive contribution. However, time is needed for land acquisition, forming a trust and other formalities. At the same time, cremation should be done as it cannot wait,” Patra said.
The BJP leader alleged that Rahul Gandhi had himself disrespected Singh by publicly tearing down a Cabinet note.
Singh had considered resigning from the post as Sonia Gandhi was “running a parallel government”, he claimed.
He alleged that the Congress has a history of insulting prime ministers who were not from the Nehru-Gandhi family.
“Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s body was not allowed entry into the Congress headquarters in Delhi on instruction of Sonia Gandhi. The Congress did not allow Rao’s last rites in the national capital, so it was performed in Hyderabad. Some media outlets also reported that some stray dogs were moving around the body of the late prime minister. Such was the audacity of the Congress,” Patra alleged.
The BJP leader alleged that the Congress did so to protect the Nehru-Gandhi family’s legacy.
Rao was the first non-Gandhi Congress PM who completed a full five-year term but still the party did not construct a memorial for him despite being in power, he said.
“When the BJP came to power, it built a memorial for Rao and also conferred Bharat Ratna on him. The Gandhi family gave Bharat Ratna only to its members,” Patra said.
Patra also mentioned the Congress’s alleged injustice to former president Pranab Mukherjee.
“Mukherjee’s daughter Sarmistha has alleged that the Congress had done injustice to her father by not condoling his death. The party said it does not condole the death of any former CWC president. However, that is not the reality… it was done to diminish his legacy,” Patra alleged.
Patra alleged that when Vallabhbhai Patel died December 15, 1950, the then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had written a letter to all ministers and senior officers asking them not to attend Patel’s funeral. Nehru also neglected first president Rajendra Prasad on his death Feb 28, 1963, he said.
When Atal Bihari Vajpayee died, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s son Priyank Kharge remarked that the former Prime Minister was a “heavy drinker”, Patra said.
“Now Rahul Gandhi, full of his immaturity, has yet again taken this to a new low by making the tweet. This shows the character of the Congress and the Gandhi family,” he alleged.
Gandhi, in a post on X, had said, “Dr Manmohan Singh ji has been insulted by the present government by performing his last rites today at Nigam Bodh Ghat. He was the Prime Minister of India for a decade, and during his tenure, the country became an economic superpower and his policies are still the support of the poor and backward classes of the country.”
“To date, respecting the dignity of all former prime ministers, their last rites were performed at authorised memorial sites so that every person could have the last darshan and pay homage without any inconvenience. Dr Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country,” he added.
PTI
