Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Ashok Gehlot, D.K. Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at party headquarters to receive the mortal remains of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The war of words between the Congress and the BJP refuses to die down even after the cremation of Manmohan Singh with the ruling party accusing Rahul Gandhi of "exploiting" the former PM's death for political gains, alleging that the leader of the Opposition is travelling to Vietnam to participate in New Year festivities while the country mourns Singh's demise.
"While the country is mourning former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's demise, Rahul Gandhi has flown to Vietnam to ring in the new year," BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya posted on 'X'.
Malviya said Rahul used Singh's death for "expedient politics", and his travel to the South East Asian nation demonstrates the Congress leader's contempt for the senior statesman.
"The Gandhis and the Congress hate Sikhs. Never forget that Indira Gandhi desecrated the Darbar Sahib," Malviya added, referring to Operation Blue Star in 1984 ordered by former PM Indira Gandhi to flush out militants from the Golden Temple.
Congress retorted to the latest flashpoint by accusing the ruling party of trying to use diversionary tactics in the face of the controversy over the former PM's cremation.
"The way Modi denied Dr Saheb a place for cremation on the Yamuna banks and how his ministers cornered Dr Saheb's family is shameful," Congress leader Manickam Tagore wrote back to Malviya on 'X'.
"If Mr Gandhi travels privately, why does it bother you? Get well in New Year," he added.
A day after the former PM's death, the Congress Working Committee met in Delhi to condole the passing away of Singh who remained in office for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.
The CWC resolution also demanded that the cremation be held at the place where a memorial to honour Singh would be built.
The cremation was organised at Nigam Bodh Ghat on the banks of Yamuna in Delhi and Rahul Gandhi, in a scathing attack, accused the Centre of "insulting the great son of India".
The Union home ministry, though, acceded to the demand for allocating land for a memorial even as BJP national president and Union Health Minister J P Nadda accused the Congress was 'politicising' the former prime minister's demise and engaging in 'cheap politics'.