Ambala: Haryana Minister Anil Vij on Sunday accused Congress and its leadership, including Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, of “politicizing” the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the proposal to build a memorial in his honor.
Speaking to ANI, Vij stated that discussions regarding the location of the memorial were still underway, adding that no final decision had been made yet. He further criticized Congress leaders for turning the issue into a political debate.
“Rahul Gandhi, his party, and their allies should be ashamed of using the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for politics. There is a time for political discussions, but this is not it. The place for his memorial has not been decided. The government is working on it, but no decision has been made yet. They should refrain from making this a political issue,” Vij said.
The controversy erupted following disagreements between BJP and Congress leaders over the funeral arrangements for Singh. On Saturday, Congress MP Manickam Tagore accused the central government of treating Singh’s cremation disrespectfully, alleging that the location, Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi, was unsuitable and congested.
“It is very unfortunate that the government chose such a common place for the cremation of our former Prime Minister. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away, a special memorial was built at the cremation site. Why is there no such respect for Manmohan Singh?” Tagore said in a statement to ANI.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticized the BJP-led government, claiming that the “adequate place” for the cremation of Singh was not provided, which, she argued, undermined the dignity of the office of the Prime Minister and Singh’s legacy. The UPA government had previously rejected proposals for separate memorials in Delhi due to space constraints.
