Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee slams Congress over memorial controversy, highlights selective tribute to leaders
PTC Web Desk: Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee and former Congress member, has publicly criticised the Congress party for inconsistencies in honouring its leaders. Her remarks follow the party's recent push for a dedicated memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while it allegedly neglected to hold a condolence meeting for her father’s demise.
“When Baba passed away, the Congress didn’t even convene a CWC meeting to offer condolences. A senior leader dismissed the idea, saying such meetings aren’t held for former Presidents. That’s absolutely baseless,” Sharmistha Mukherjee stated. She further revealed that her father's diaries noted how a similar meeting was organised after former President KR Narayanan's death, with Pranab Mukherjee personally drafting the condolence message.
While criticising the party’s approach, Sharmistha Mukherjee supported the idea of a memorial for Manmohan Singh. “A memorial for Dr Singh is a wonderful idea. He truly deserves it, along with the Bharat Ratna, which Baba, as President, had hoped to confer on him. However, that didn’t materialise for reasons best left unsaid,” she added.
The controversy began when Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting a designated site for Singh’s funeral and memorial, in line with traditions for eminent statesmen. The Centre initially declined, announcing Dr Manmohan Singh’s cremation at Nigambodh Ghat, a public crematorium. This sparked outrage, with the Congress accusing the BJP of disrespecting Singh.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called the decision a "deliberate insult" and questioned why the government couldn’t allocate a space befitting Singh’s 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.
Responding to the Congress’s criticism, BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan highlighted the party's history of neglect, pointing out that no memorial was built for former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao during the UPA era. “The Congress never constructed a memorial for Narasimha Rao ji during their 10 years in power from 2004 to 2014. It was PM Modi ji who honoured him posthumously with a memorial in 2015 and the Bharat Ratna in 2024,” Kesavan said.
Sharmistha Mukherjee’s remarks have reignited the debate on Congress’s selective practices in memorialising its leaders. Reflecting on her father’s experience, she emphasised the inconsistency in the party’s approach, further fuelling the controversy.
In a late-night announcement, the Centre resolved the impasse, agreeing to allocate a separate site for Dr Manmohan Singh’s memorial, bringing an end to the political storm.
- With inputs from agencies
