Amid Manmohan Singh’s memorial row, Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter’s dig at Congress

Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee and a former Congress member, criticised the party for demanding a separate memorial space for former.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while failing to convene a Working Committee meeting to condole her father’s death. Speaking out against the lapse, she revealed that a senior Congress leader had dismissed the idea, claiming such meetings were not customary for former Presidents.

“When baba passed away, Congress didn’t even bother to call a CWC for a condolence meeting. A senior leader told me it’s not done for Presidents. That’s utter rubbish,” Sharmistha Mukherjee said. She further revealed that her father’s diaries documented how, after former President KR Narayanan’s death, such a meeting had been convened, with Pranab Mukherjee himself drafting the condolence message.

She, however, said that former PM Manmohan Singh deserves a separate memorial space.

“Having said that, a memorial for Dr Singh is a great idea. He deserves it and also Bharat Ratna, which baba, as President, wanted to confer on him; but that didn’t happen, perhaps due to two reasons which don’t need to be spelt out.” she said.

Her remarks come amidst a fresh controversy surrounding the Congress’s appeal for a dedicated memorial for former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting a resting place for Singh that would also serve as a memorial, in keeping with the tradition of honouring distinguished statesmen.

Initially, the Centre rejected the request, announcing that Singh’s cremation would take place at Nigambodh Ghat, a public crematorium. The decision led to a political uproar, with Congress accusing the BJP of showing disrespect to the former Prime Minister.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called the move a “deliberate insult,” arguing that Singh’s contributions to the nation warranted a site befitting his global stature.

“The people of our country are unable to understand why the Indian government could not find a place for his funeral and memorial befitting his global stature,” he tweeted.

The BJP, in turn, pointed out the Congress’s failure to build a memorial for former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. Party spokesperson CR Kesavan argued that Congress had set a precedent of neglect when it came to honouring its leaders.

“It is indeed ironic that a Congress President is writing to PM Narendra Modi ji about traditions and the funeral place becoming the sacrosanct venue for a memorial. One should remind Kharge ji how the Congress-led UPA government never built a memorial in Delhi for former PM Narasimha Rao ji, who passed away in 2004. 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,” Kesavan said.

Sharmistha Mukherjee’s remarks further intensified the debate. Reflecting on her father’s treatment by the Congress, she emphasised the party’s selective approach to memorialising its stalwarts. Her comments underscored a broader perception of inconsistency within the party’s internal practices.

In a late-night development, the Centre broke the deadlock and agreed to provide a separate space for Manmohan Singh’s memorial.