Hours after the Congress intensified its attack on the Centre over the handling of former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s funeral at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat and demand for his memorial, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda accused the part of doing “cheap politics”.
In a video posted on X, Nadda said that it was unfortunate that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and incumbent Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge are not refraining from playing politics even over the former prime minister’s death.
“No amount of condemnation is enough for such cheap thinking of the Congress,” Nadda said. “The Congress, which never gave real respect to Manmohan Singh when he was alive, is now playing politics in the name of his respect.”
He also accused the Congress of placing its former party president Sonia Gandhi as a “super PM” over Manmohan Singh during his tenure as prime minister from 2004 to 2014.
“This is the same Congress which tarnished the dignity of the PM post by placing Sonia Gandhi as ‘super PM’ over PM Manmohan Singh,” the Union minister said.
Also Read | Thousands pay tearful last respects to Manmohan Singh
“Not just this. The way Rahul Gandhi insulted Manmohan Singh by tearing an ordinance, there is no other example of this,” he added.
Nadda also accused the Congress of historical disrespect toward national leaders. “Whether it is Baba Saheb Ambedkar, the country’s first President Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, PV Narasimha Rao, Pranab Mukherjee, or Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Congress and the Gandhi family have consistently disrespected these leaders,” he pointed out.
What Congress said
The Congress on Saturday accused the Union government of poorly handling the funeral arrangements of former PM Manmohan Singh’s funeral at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat.
The party alleged a series of protocol breaches and “deliberate disrespect” to India’s first Sikh prime minister at the funeral.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera detailed multiple alleged lapses during the ceremony, including restricted media access, inadequate seating for family members, and protocol violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet during the ceremony.
“The disgraceful treatment of a towering statesman exposes the government’s priorities and lack of respect for democratic values,” Khera said in a post on X, highlighting that only Doordarshan was allowed to cover the event, with its coverage focusing primarily on Modi and home minister Amit Shah rather than Singh’s family.
Also Read | Tales of Manmohan Singh’s humility echo in the corridors of power
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also called the government’s decision to conduct the last rites at Nigambodh Ghat as a “total insult” to Manmohan Singh. “The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country and his proud community,” Gandhi wrote on X.
Manmohan Singh was accorded a state funeral with military honours at the Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi on Saturday. He died on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions.
