Congress Seeks Separate Memorial Site For Former PM Manmohan Singh In Delhi, Faces Criticism For Disrespecting Narasimha Rao

The Congress has petitioned the Central government to allocate a memorial site for the late former Prime Minister (PM) Manmohan Singh, who passed away on Thursday (26 December), along the Yamuna River in Delhi.

While the government has not yet responded to Congress, the main opposition party is facing criticism for not giving similar respect to former PM P V Narasimha Rao, who is the sole Congress PM without a dedicated resting place in the nation's capital.

This location is significant as it is where numerous former PMs have their memorials. However, the UPA government, led by Singh, had previously rejected requests for separate memorials citing lack of space.

Indian Express reported that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has communicated the party's wishes to PM Narendra Modi. In addition, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal, general secretaries of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), separately pursued the matter with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday.

In 2013, the UPA Cabinet established a shared memorial site, the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal at Raj Ghat. The stigma of disrespecting former PM P V Narasimha Rao posthumously continues to be associated with the Congress and the Gandhi family.

The strained relationship between Sonia Gandhi and Rao led to the Congress distancing itself from the former PM after he left his position in 1996.

For a long time, Congress did not recognise Rao's contribution to liberalising the Indian economy, which represents the most significant reforms India has witnessed since gaining independence.

Rao, the first PM not from the Nehru-Gandhi lineage to serve a full term, passed away in December 2004. His body was not permitted inside the AICC's national headquarters at 24, Akbar Road.

Instead, his funeral procession was compelled to stop on the sidewalk outside the primary entrance. In 2015, a decade after his death, Rao was finally honored with a memorial.

The BJP-led government constructed a memorial ghat for him at the Ekta Sthal Samadhi Complex, citing his entitlement to State honours as a past PM. Earlier in the year, the BJP administration had bestowed upon Rao the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award.

The Union Cabinet passed a resolution on Friday, praising Singh as a notable statesman and an exceptional leader who made a significant impact on the nation's life. In his honor, the government has already announced a seven-day mourning period.