Navjot Sidhu writes to President Murmu for Manmohan Singh memorial

Chandigarh: Senior Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to direct the Centre to raise a memorial for former prime minister Manmohan Singh at the Raj Ghat complex.

Sidhu's letter comes a day after the Congress accused the Centre of insulting Manmohan Singh, the country's first Sikh prime minister, by carrying out his last rites at the Nigambodh Ghat instead of a designated spot that could have become his memorial.

The opposition party had written to the Centre for identifying a designated place for Singh's last rites. The Centre responded by saying a decision to set up a memorial has already been taken, and a trust would be formed to identify the location soon.

Manmohan Singh died on December 26. He was cremated at the Nigambodh Ghat on December 28.

BJP president J P Nadda has also responded to the Congress' accusations, saying the Centre has decided to allocate space for Manmohan Singh's memorial and informed his family about it. He accused the grand old party of indulging in "cheap politics" over the former prime minister's cremation.

Sharing his letter on X, Sidhu posted, "This is not just about a memorial; it's about upholding historic norms and the dignity of our democracy. India must rise above petty parish pump politics."

In the letter to President Murmu, he has written, "I urge your esteemed office to intervene and direct the government to ensure that a memorial for Dr Manmohan Singh is established at the Raj Ghat complex, upholding the dignity of this tradition."

"I write to you with profound concern and deep conviction regarding the need to establish a memorial for Dr Manmohan Singh, the 13th Prime Minister of India, at the Raj Ghat complex, a site that symbolises the glorious tradition of commemorating the legacy of our nation's leaders."

"As you are aware, all former Prime Ministers, including (caretaker) Prime Minister like Gulzarilal Nanda, have been accorded memorial to honour their contribution."

"These include Shanti Van for Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Vijay Ghat for Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, Shakti Sthal for Smt. Indira Gandhi, Vir Bhumi For Rajiv Gandhi, and Sadaiv Atal for Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Sidhu wrote.

"The Raj Ghat complex has been the chosen resting place for all these leaders, reflecting its sanctity as a repository of our democratic legacy," Sidhu wrote.

But this tradition was "conspicuously broken" when Manmohan Singh was cremated at the Nigambodh Ghat, a site where no other prime minister has been cremated, and no steps have been taken to commemorate his remarkable legacy, Sidhu said.

"It is alarming to note that this departure from tradition reeks of visible insecurity and political bias," he alleged in his letter.

The establishment of memorials is not a partisan issue but an act of preserving India's glorious history and honouring those who have shaped its destiny, wrote Sidhu.

He mentioned that Dr Singh's contribution as an economist, statesman, and leader who guided India through a decade of transformative growth and global integration cannot be ignored.

"It is pertinent to mention that even Prime Ministers like P V Narasimha Rao, whose cremation took place outside Delhi, have been honoured with memorials, such as Gyan Bhumi in Hyderabad. Therefore, the inaction regarding Dr Singh's memorial raises questions about the motives behind this omission," he said.

Sidhu said honouring leaders with memorials has been an integral part of India's democratic ethos, transcending political differences.

"Notable exceptions like V P Singh, who lacks a memorial, have drawn criticism even from his family," he pointed out, while adding "this neglect must not be extended to Dr Manmohan Singh, whose legacy is too significant to be ignored or politicised".

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had said the BJP-led Centre had "totally insulted" Singh, a great son of Mother India and the first prime minister from the Sikh community, by performing his last rites at the Nigambodh Ghat.