The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has responded to the Congress party’s request to allocate space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away on Thursday night. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging that Singh’s last rites be held at a location where a memorial could be constructed.
In a statement released late on Friday, titled “Facts of the matter regarding memorial for Former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh,” the MHA confirmed that the government had decided to allocate space for the memorial. The decision was communicated to both Kharge and Singh’s family.
Kharge had written to Modi after speaking with him about the possibility of holding Singh’s last rites at a site that would serve as a memorial for the former leader. In his letter, Kharge emphasized the importance of ensuring that the final resting place of Manmohan Singh would be a significant venue befitting his stature, following the tradition of memorials for prominent statesmen.
Following a Cabinet meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed Kharge and Singh’s family that the government had agreed to allocate space for the memorial. The MHA added that cremation and other formalities could proceed, as a Trust would need to be established to manage the memorial.
Manmohan Singh, who served as India’s Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 and was credited with major economic reforms, died at the age of 92.
The Congress party, however, raised concerns about the delay in finalizing the location for Singh’s cremation and memorial, accusing the government of disrespecting the first Sikh Prime Minister of India. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the government’s response, stating that the people of India were puzzled by the lack of a proper location for the cremation and memorial, given Singh’s significant achievements and service to the nation.
In response, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared the MHA statement on X, calling it unfortunate that the Congress had politicized Singh’s death. He emphasized that Home Minister Amit Shah had promptly informed Kharge and Singh’s family about the decision to allocate space for the memorial after the Cabinet meeting.
