Govt insulted Manmohan Singh by holding last rites at Nigambodh Ghat: Congress

New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday accused the Centre of insulting Manmohan Singh, the country's first Sikh prime minister, by carrying out his last rites at the Nigambodh Ghat instead of a designated spot that could later become his memorial.

The opposition party had written to the Centre for identifying a designated place for Singh's last rites, where a memorial could be set up for him.

As politics over the matter erupted, the Centre said a decision to set up a memorial has already been taken and a trust would be formed to identify the place soon.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the great son of Mother India and the first prime minister from the Sikh community has been "totally insulted" by the BJP-led Centre by performing his last rites at the Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday.

He said Singh was the prime minister for 10 years, the country became an economic superpower during his tenure and his policies are still the support system for the poor and backward classes.

"Till date, respecting the dignity of all former prime ministers, their last rites were performed at authorised burial sites so that every person could have a last darshan and pay homage without any inconvenience.

"Dr Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country and his proud community," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said by not providing an appropriate place for the former prime minister's cremation, the Centre has not done justice to the dignity of the post, his personality, legacy and the self-respecting Sikh community.

She said earlier, all former prime ministers were given the highest honour and respect.

"Dr Manmohan Singhji deserves this honour and a Samadhi Sthal. Today, the whole world is remembering his contributions. The government should have thought beyond politics and narrow-mindedness in this matter," she said in a post in Hindi on X.

"This morning, I felt this when I saw Dr Manmohan Singhji's family members struggling for a place at the funeral site, trying to find a place in the crowd, and the general public getting troubled due to the lack of space and paying tributes from the road outside," Priyanka Gandhi added.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also took to X to say that he attended Singh's funeral at the Nigambodh Ghat.

"It was difficult to see very much, beyond the backs of the heads of assorted dignitaries and close relatives of the departed soul, so it became more of an occasion to reflect on the life and legacy of the late great PM," Tharoor said, adding that he found himself seated next to Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was a memorable companion during the proceedings.

"We shared a great regard for the late Prime Minister and agreed that a fitting memorial must be established by the government for Dr MMS without delay," he said, while sharing pictures of the funeral.

Former Indian Youth Congress chief B V Srinivas said when former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on August 16, 2018, his funeral took place at the National Memorial, the designated place for the cremation of former presidents, vice-presidents and prime ministers.

He referred to Vajpayee's memorial, "Sadbhav Atal", which is spread over seven acres and "where memories related to Atalji are present", and shared pictures of the memorial on X.

"But during the tenure of the same prime minister, Narendra Modi, the last rites of former prime minister Manmohan Singh were performed at the public Nigambodh Ghat instead of the National Memorial. Because he was a Congress leader, not a BJP leader?" he asked in a post in Hindi on X.

After the matter of a memorial for Singh took a political colour, the Centre clarified that a decision to build one was already conveyed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge by Union Home Minister Amit Shah after Friday's Cabinet meeting.

A government statement also said the funeral could be held as the process of setting up a trust and allotting land for the memorial could take a while.

Kharge had written to Modi on Friday seeking a memorial for Singh. Several sections of the society have also urged the government to confer Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour of the country, on the late economist-prime minister. PTI