Rahul Gandhi accuses govt of insulting Manmohan Singh with cremation site choice; BJP retorts

Dr. Singh, who served as India's prime minister from 2004 to 2014, passed away at the age of 92 on December 26 at AIIMS Delhi.

His last rites were performed today 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 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 added.

The BJP quickly responded, 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 said in a press conference.

The BJP also accused Congress of hypocrisy, citing past instances where the party allegedly showed disrespect to its own leaders, such as former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and former President Pranab Mukherjee.

Patra stated, "When Manmohan Singh was alive and serving as the Prime Minister of India, no one insulted him more than his own party, Congress. The nation witnessed how Rahul Gandhi, in a fit of anger and arrogance, tore apart documents related to decisions made by the Manmohan Singh-led Cabinet, asserting that he was the actual boss, and that the Gandhi family was the real decision-maker.

"During Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM, Sonia Gandhi operated a parallel government. Multiple books have documented how Sonia Gandhi ran an unconstitutional body that took files from the government and determined how it would function."

Dr. Singh’s body was taken to Nigambodh Ghat in a flower-adorned vehicle, accompanied by security personnel and a large crowd of supporters.

Rahul Gandhi walked alongside the procession and later helped carry the casket to the pyre.

The cremation ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries, including President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Jairam Ramesh were present, along with senior BJP leaders Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh.

Foreign dignitaries, including Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful, attended the ceremony to honour Dr. Singh's legacy.

The former prime minister’s eldest daughter, Upinder Singh, lit the funeral pyre as Sikh priests recited Gurbani hymns.

The ceremony concluded with a 21-gun salute by the armed forces.