New Delhi [India], December 28 Writer Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, on Saturday, said that she felt bad when Congress did not call a CWC meeting to formally pay condolences to his father during his demise.
"When Baba died, I was in active politics and part of the Congress. I was shocked that no formal CWC was called and no condolence resolution was passed. As far as I have the idea, it was in Congress' convention. Sonia Gandhi personally sent me a letter but as an institution, no condolences were passed. Before president, he was a stalwart Congress leader for 45 years. He was associated with CWC for 30 years," Mukherjee told ANI.
"Someone told me that the president is above party lines so this was not followed but after Baba's death, I was reading his diaries and I came to know that when former president KR Narayan died, then a CWC condolence meeting was called; my father drafted the message," she said.
Mukherjee also urged the central government to make a memorial in the name of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed away on Thursday.
"My father always used to say he is a true gentleman. It is a great loss to the nation; my deepest condolences to his family and friends," she said.
"There should be no politics. More or less, there is a tradition that memorials were made for our former prime ministers. P. V. Narasimha Rao was an exception. Looking at the stellar contribution of Manmohan Singh, there should be no controversy. He should also get the Bharat Ratna," she added.
"I want to request the government that a memorial should be made," she reiterated.
Reacting to the issue, BJP leader and grandson of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, NV Subhash also alleged that the party had disrespected the former PM after his death
"Congress disrespected Narasimha Rao after his demise... The Congress party persuaded us to move his mortal remains to Hyderabad and assured us that a memorial site would be built for him in Hyderabad even though he had spent most of his life in Delhi... Today, the Congress party's hypocrisy has been exposed. They ill-treated their leaders... The Cabinet has clearly approved (Congress' demand) ... They are playing petty politics on the whims and fancies of the dynastic rule of the Congress party," he said.
Earlier, Congress had demanded a funeral in a place where a memorial to Singh could be built. However, the Centre said land for a memorial would be earmarked in the next few days. But it would not be the place where the funeral took place. The Congress called it a "deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India."
"Earlier this morning, the Congress President had written to the Prime Minister, suggesting that the cremation of the former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, take place at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy. The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, the record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades. This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh," Jairam Ramesh posted on X on Friday.
Manmohan Singh was accorded a state funeral with full military honours at the Nigam Bodh Ghat, a public cremation ground in north Delhi, on Saturday.