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The death of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has sparked a significant political row between the Congress party and the ruling BJP. The Congress alleges that the BJP government deliberately orchestrated inadequate funeral arrangements, amounting to a deliberate insult to the late statesman. This contention centers around the location of the cremation ceremony, held at Nigambodh Ghat, a crematorium with known space limitations. The Congress maintains that this choice, despite their requests for a more prominent and spacious location, was a deliberate attempt to diminish Singh's legacy and stature.
K C Venugopal, AICC general secretary, publicly expressed the Congress party's deep pain and outrage. He details a series of communications between Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. These communications, he claims, clearly conveyed the party's desire for a more fitting funeral site, suggesting alternative locations within existing memorial complexes. Despite these requests, the government proceeded with the cremation at Nigambodh Ghat, leading to logistical challenges and overcrowding, preventing many mourners, including several chief ministers, from paying their respects appropriately. Venugopal highlights the lack of coordination between the government and Singh's family and the Congress party as a significant oversight, further fueling the allegations of disrespect.
The Congress further criticizes the government's handling of the media coverage at the cremation. They claim that Doordarshan, India's state broadcaster, focused primarily on the Prime Minister and other ministers, neglecting the significance of the event for the Congress party and Singh's family. The limited space and poor organization resulted in many mourners, including family members, being forced to stand for the entire ceremony, further emphasizing the Congress's point regarding the inadequacy of the arrangements. The lack of adequate seating and the perceived media bias are portrayed as deliberate attempts to downplay the significance of the event and the contribution of Manmohan Singh to India's political and economic landscape.
The BJP's response has been to accuse the Congress of politicizing a solemn occasion. However, the Congress counters this by pointing to the arrangements for the funeral of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was given a separate cremation site despite a previous government decision to establish a common memorial ground. This, the Congress argues, highlights the BJP's hypocrisy and underscores their belief that the inadequate arrangements for Singh’s funeral were politically motivated. The discrepancy between the treatment of Vajpayee and Singh is a central point of contention, with the Congress claiming that the BJP deliberately downgraded the event to diminish the legacy of a prominent Congress leader.
The controversy extends beyond the immediate aftermath of the funeral. While the government promised to allocate a space for a memorial to Manmohan Singh, the lack of immediate action and communication regarding the specifics fuels further suspicion among Congress leaders and supporters. The ongoing debate highlights the deep political divisions in India and the often-contentious relationship between the Congress and the BJP. The episode is viewed by many as a reflection of the highly charged political climate in India, where even the remembrance of deceased leaders becomes a platform for political maneuvering and accusations.