The Congress party has been heavily accused of mishandling former President Pranab Mukherjee’s death by his daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee. She made them as discussions are being conducted as to what form a memorial for the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should take.
Congress Ignored Pranab Mukherjee’s Passing
Actress and Congress party member Sharmistha Mukherjee later took to social media to air her disappointment at the party. They were followed by the disclosure that after his funeral, without communiqué, the Congress held no CWC meeting to condole with him.
She stated that a senior Congress leader said such meetings were not held for presidents. To this, Sharmistha replied, “Shame for you, it is utter rubbish.” She also added that her father’s diaries showed that a condolence meeting was conducted for the former President K.R. Narayanan and the message was written by Pranab himself.
Support for Manmohan Singh Memorial
While Sharmistha Mukherjee is highly critical of the Congress, she backed the party’s call for a memorial to be set up in honour of Dr. Manmohan Singh. She stated that the former Prime Minister should receive such an award in recognition to his efforts towards a better nation.
Call for Bharat Ratna for Dr. Singh
Sharmistha also wanted the Bharat Ratna to be given to the Dr. Manmohan Singh. She said that her father, the President, had intended to award the leadership of the country’s economy to Dr. Singh. But she suggested that it may have been politics that did not allow this to occur.
The Memorial Debate
As recently as last week, the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to the Centre asking for a place be provided for the construction of a memorial to Dr Singh. The demand responds to the tradition for building memorials of former leaders at the places of their cremation.
This demand has sparked a political debate, with the BJP accusing Congress of politicizing Dr. Singh’s death. Sharmistha’s comments add another layer to the ongoing discussion.
Public Reaction
Sharmistha Mukherjee’s statements have drawn attention to how political parties handle the legacies of their leaders. Her support for a memorial for Dr. Manmohan Singh has also added weight to the Congress’s demand.
Conclusion
It is for this reason that the present fight about expenditure on the memorial of Dr. Manmohan Singh has raised questions about a ‘posthumous lifestyle’ of political parties. It is high time to follow and respect immediately former leaders and bash (in the context of UN) ex-World Leaders as Sharmistha Mukherjee’s remarks concludes. Her headline demand to Award Bharat Ratna to Dr. Singh also supports how he transformed the fabric of India.
