Centre announces memorial for Pranab Mukherjee, his daughter thanks PM Modi for 'gracious gesture'

In an X post on Tuesday, Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of Pranab Mukherjee, said she had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thanked him for the government's decision to construct a memorial for her father.

Pranab Mukherjee was the President of India between 2012 and 2017 and died in 2020.

Sharing a copy of a letter stating that the memorial will be erected within the 'Rashtriya Smriti Sthal' - the designated memorial complex for presidents, vice presidents, and prime ministers - in Rajghat, she said the family would cherish the decision more as it did not ask for the memorial to be constructed.

"Baba used to say that State honours shouldn't be asked for, it should be offered. I'm so grateful that PM Modi did this to honour babas' memory. It doesnt affect baba where he is now- beyond applaud or criticism. But for his daughter, words are not sufficient to express my joy (sic)," she added.

After former PM Manmohan Singh died on December 26 and his funeral was planned at the Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to PM Modi and asked for the conduction of last rites at a site where his memorial could be constructed.

His last rites were performed on Dec 28 at Nigambodh Ghat with full state honours.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, criticised the choice of the site, calling it an "insult" to Dr. Singh.

"The great son of Mother India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji has been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites today at the Nigambodh Ghat. He was the Prime Minister of India for a decade, during his tenure the country became an economic superpower and his policies are still the support of the poor and backward classes of the country," Gandhi had posted on X.

"Till date, respecting the dignity of all former Prime Ministers, their last rites were performed at authorized burial sites so that every person could have the last darshan and pay homage without any inconvenience. Dr. Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country and his proud community," he had added.

The BJP had responded too, rebuking Congress for raising the issue on the day of Dr. Singh's cremation.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra criticised Gandhi’s comments, accusing him of dragging Indian politics to a "new low."

"This is a new low in politics of India, thanks to the Congress party. The kind of politics Congress is doing, especially Rahul Gandhi - who has tweeted about the cremation - is shameful. We in a cabinet meeting after the demise of the former PM Manmohan Singh - decided that since he was the PM and had a big stature  - the cabinet wrote a letter to Congress and Dr. Singh's family - where the cabinet said that we should build a memorial in his name so that the country and the world remember him for his positive works," Patra had said in a press conference.