Govt to allocate space for former PM Manmohan Singh's memorial, says Union Home Ministry

Pic/PTI

The government will allocate space for a memorial of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and this has been communicated to his family and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Union home ministry said on Friday night.

In a late-night release titled "Facts of the matter regarding a memorial for Former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh", the ministry said the government received a request to allocate space for a memorial for Singh from the Congress chief.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Kharge and the family of Manmohan Singh that the government would 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, the home ministry said.

"Today morning, Government received a request to allocate space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh, from the Congress Party President," the MHA statement read.

"Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Dr 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," it added.

Singh, who headed the Congress-led UPA government and is credited with economic reforms, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92.

He was India's prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial of Singh was a deliberate insult to the country's first Sikh prime minister.

The party raised the issue after the home ministry said Singh's last rites would be held at New Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat at 11.45 am on Saturday with full state honours.

Earlier in the day, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X.

"I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter.

The Congress President emphasized that Dr Manmohan Singh holds a highly revered place in the psyche of the country and the people of this nation.

"While his contributions and achievements are phenomenal, I would like to dwell here on some of his very significant accomplishments. His erudition on economic and fiscal matters comes from his vast experience as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India and various other capacities in several organizations," Kharge said.

"The respect and regard that the world leaders had for Dr Manmohan Singh bears testimony to this fact. His wise counsel, leadership and contribution in mitigating the global economic financial crisis is well acknowledged. As I recall, President Obama during his tenure as President of the US mentioned Dr. Singh and remarked that "Whenever the Indian Prime Minister speaks, the whole world listens to him," he added.

Kharge recalled Dr Singh's role as Finance Minister during a grave economic crisis in India, saying "It was Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister, who took India out of the crisis and also led the country towards economic prosperity and stability. The nation today reaps the benefits of the robust economic foundations he built."

Kharge further said that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature.

"In view of the foregoing, I hope and trust that befitting the stature of Dr Manmohan Singh, the above request to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built will be acceded to," Kharge concluded.

(With inputs from Agencies)