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Former prime minister Manmohan Singh died on December 26 last year and was cremated at Nigambodh Ghat, a move which was crticised by the Congress which alleged insult to the former PM.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with former PM Manmohan Singh’s family (PTI Image)
The Centre has begun the process of identifying the site for the setting up of a memorial of late former prime minister Manmohan Singh and is in touch with his family to finalise the location, sources said on Wednesday.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) officials visited sites around the Sanjay Gandhi memorial in the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal and listed some spots where the memorial could be built, sources said.
The government is in touch with Singh’s family and has held discussions on the three or four options for the memorial’s location, they said, adding that no spot has been given a go-ahead yet and everything would be done in consultation with the former prime minister’s family.
The Centre will also set up a trust before allotting the chosen land to it for the construction of the memorial. The government has already conveyed its willingness to set up Singh’s memorial to his family.
Manmohan Singh passed away at 92 at AIIMS Delhi on December 26 last year. The Ministry of Home Affairs ordered his last rites to be held at Nigambodh Ghat.
Row Over Manmohan Singh Memorial
The Congress party criticised the government’s move and engaged in a war of words with the BJP over the cremation and the setting up of a memorial.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to hold the last rites of the late PM at a place where his memorial could be built.
Akali Dal claimed that the Centre “declined” Singh’s family’s request for the funeral to be held at a place where a memorial could be built in his memory.
“Shocking and unbelievable! It is condemnable in the extreme that Union Govt has declined the request of Dr Manmohan Singh Ji’s family for performing the funeral and last rites of the highly distinguished leader at a place where an appropriate and historic memorial may be built to commemorate his unparalleled services to the nation. This place should be Raj Ghat. This will be in keeping with the settled practice and tradition followed in the past,” Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed.
How BJP Reacted To Memorial Row?
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan lashed out at the Congress over the row and said that it was “ironic” of Mallikarjun Kharge to write to PM Modi about traditions and funeral place becoming the sacrosanct venue for a memorial.
“One should remind Kharge ji how the Congress-led UPA Govt never built a memorial in Delhi for former PM Narasimha Rao ji, who passed away in 2004. The Congress never built a memorial for him in the 10 years they were in power from 2004-2014,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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