The Union Home Ministry in a release stated that the Central Government will allocate space for a memorial for former prime minister Manmohan Singh. In a late-night release titled “Facts of the matter regarding memorial for Former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh” on Friday, the ministry said that the Centre had received a request to allocate space for a memorial for Singh, from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
In the release it was stated that while the space is being allocated, the cremation and other formalities can take place because a trust has to be formed in this regard.
“Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, HM Shri Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Shri Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it,” the statement read.
Manmohan Singh who was the architect of India’s economic reforms passed away on Thursday at the age of 92 in AIIMS, Delhi. He served as India’s prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.
What did the Congress say?
The Congress raked up the issue of the memorial after the Union Home Ministry said in a statement that Singh’s last rites will be held at New Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat at 11:45 am on Saturday with full State honours.
Kharge wrote the letter on the memorial after speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about setting up a memorial for Singh, who was a two-term prime minister revered by the people of the country.
“Apropos our telephonic conversation today morning, wherein I made a request to hold Dr Manmohan Singh’s last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former prime ministers at the very place of their funerals,” Kharge said in his two-page letter.
The Congress chief said Manmohan Singh holds a highly revered place in the psyche of the country and the people of this nation, and his contributions and achievements were phenomenal.