Himanta, Congress trade barbs on 'disrespect' to Manmohan Singh over funeral venue

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday accused the Congress of attempting to stir a controversy over the cremation of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, despite the Centre announcing a “fitting memorial” to honour his legacy.

The opposition party hit back at the CM, claiming that Assam government programmes were hosted even when Singh’s funeral was underway in New Delhi on Saturday, in violation of the seven-day state mourning.

Sarma said it was not the first time that the Congress has "shown such disregard – be it towards the legacy of Narasimha Rao or Pranab Mukherjee, the party has, unfortunately, treated its own with indifference”.

The CM’s remarks came after the Congress accused the Centre of insulting Singh, the country's first Sikh prime minister, by performing his last rites at Nigambodh Ghat instead of a designated spot that could be turned into his memorial.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had said the BJP-led Centre had "totally insulted" Singh by performing his last rites at Nigambodh Ghat.

The BJP maintained that the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had allocated space for Singh's memorial and also informed his family about it, and accused the Congress of indulging in "cheap politics" over the former PM’s cremation.

"Dr Manmohan Singh, a statesman of unparalleled dignity and intellect, deserved much better, both in life and in death. It is deeply disheartening to witness the Congress Party attempting to stir controversy around his final journey, diminishing the solemnity it truly deserved," Sarma said in a post on X.

The BJP leader said the people of India have bid Singh, who was a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam for over two decades, including during his tenure as PM, a respectful and heartfelt farewell, recognising his invaluable contributions to the nation.

"Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji has already announced a fitting memorial to honour his legacy, reflecting the nation's gratitude. Yet, the actions of some, who seek to turn this moment of mourning into an opportunity for political gain, are deeply painful," Sarma said.

"The public still remembers the indignities inflicted upon Dr Singh during his tenure, including Rahul Gandhi's infamous gestures that undermined his stature. Such actions remain etched in the nation's memory," he said.

Sarma, who was with the Congress before joining the saffron party, asserted that after his death, Singh's “legacy should not be sullied by political opportunism”.

"Let us honour his memory with the dignity and respect he so richly deserves, free from any discord or manipulation by the leadership of the congress party," the CM added.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Debabrata Saikia, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleged that the state government disrespected the legacy of Singh on the very day of his funeral.

“The Government of Assam, including its officials, were found to be organising and celebrating scheme launches and programmes at the same time when late Dr Manmohan Singh’s funeral was on and you were attending the funeral,” Saikia said in the letter on Sunday.

He said such events could have been postponed, but the state government was “acting as it was business as usual”.

“This act is very unfortunate while state mourning was declared by the Union cabinet presided by you,” Saikia said.

He pointed out that other states like Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh cancelled scheduled programmes as a mark of mourning.

“… I pray to the conscience of yours to kindly treat this matter with utmost importance and see to it that the State of Assam does duly observe mourning and pays due homage to the legacy of the late Dr Manmohan Singh,” the Congress leader added.