AGARTALA(Tripura): Union Minister Pralhad Joshi slammed the Congress party for playing politics over the last rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, despite the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to ensure proper arrangements for his cremation at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat.
“There is no doubt that the late PM Dr Manmohan Singh was a most respectable personality. The Congress party started playing politics even after PM Modi’s government did everything for his last rites and to pay last respects to him. It does not suit for any party to stoop to such a low level after the death of a (former) Prime Minister,” Joshi told ANI.
The senior BJP leader said that PM Modi personally ensured all arrangements were made to bid farewell to Manmohan Singh and alleged that Congress was still resorting to cheap politics.
“PM Modi himself took care of everything and made all the arrangements to give him the last respects,” he said.
The minister also mentioned that Home Minister Amit Shah personally communicated with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge regarding the government’s decision to build a memorial.
#WATCH | Agartala, Tripura: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says, “There is no doubt that Late PM Dr Manmohan Singh was a most respectable personality. The Congress party started playing politics even after PM Modi’s government did everything for his last rites and to pay last… pic.twitter.com/UYX6yy9iPG
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024
“Even then, these people are indulging in cheap politics by making misleading statements,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, Congress leader KC Venugopal on Saturday slammed the “shoddy arrangements” made at the cremation of Manmohan Singh, calling them deeply insulting.He added that the “monumental insult” to the former Finance Minister was “unacceptable” and that India would “never forgive” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Mr Nadda and the BJP have crossed all boundaries of decency and have in fact compelled us to point out the rank hypocrisy and cheap political tricks of the BJP throughout the last two days. The shoddy arrangements and the Government’s conduct at Dr. Manmohan Singh ji’s cremation were deeply insulting and made it clear that the government was hell-bent on diminishing his stature for their petty political reasons,” Venugopal posted on X.
He further said that the “attempts to cut corners were for all to see, and there were many instances where the family was insulted and the overall dignity and protocol befitting Dr Singh’s stature was completely lacking.”
“This monumental insult to Dr. Manmohan Singh is unacceptable and India will never forgive the PM and his Government for playing politics over the last rites of Dr. Singh,” he added.
In a sharp rebuke, BJP National President and Union Health Minister JP Nadda accused the Congress party of ‘politicising’ Singh’s demise and engaging in ‘cheap politics’. He alleged that the Congress party had never shown respect to the late veteran Manmohan Singh when he held office.
“It is indeed very unfortunate that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and current president Mallikarjun Kharge are not refraining from doing politics even on the sad demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Congress, which never gave respect to Dr Manmohan Singh while he was alive, is now doing politics in the name of his respect,” JP Nadda said.
“This is the same Congress which tarnished the dignity of the post of the Prime Minister by placing Sonia Gandhi as super PM above PM Manmohan Singh,” Nadda added.
After the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of the late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it.
Manmohan Singh was accorded a state funeral with military honours at the Nigam Bodh Ghat, a public cremation ground in north Delhi, on Saturday.
Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. (ANI)