NEW DELHI: Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of former President late Pranab Mukherjee, has criticised Congress President Mallikarjun Khargeโs recent proposal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a separate memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Sharmistha accused the Congress leadership of neglect when her father passed away in August 2020.
โWhen Baba passed away, Congress didnโt even bother 2 call CWC 4 condolence meeting. A senior leader told me itโs not done 4 Presidents. Thatโs utter rubbish as I learned later from Babaโs diaries that on KR Narayananโs death, CWC was called & condolence msg was drafted by Baba only,โ she wrote.
When baba passed away, Congress didnt even bother 2 call CWC 4 condolence meeting. A senior leader told me itโs not done 4 Presidents. Thats utter rubbish as I learned later from babaโs diaries that on KR Narayananโs death, CWC was called & condolence msg was drafted by baba only https://t.co/nbYCF7NsMB
โ Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) December 27, 2024
While acknowledging Singhโs contributions, she supported the idea of a memorial in his honour.
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โHaving said that, a memorial for Dr Singh is a great idea. He deserves it & also Bharat Ratna which Baba as President wanted 2 confer on him, but that didnโt happen perhaps due 2 reasons which donโt need to be spelt out,โ she added.
Having said that, a memorial for Dr. Singh is a great idea. He deserves it & also Bharat Ratna which baba as President wanted 2 confer on him; but that didnโt happen perhaps due 2 reasons which donโt need to be spelled out. https://t.co/5MhH7k5Smq pic.twitter.com/yUZCEXNMxK
โ Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) December 27, 2024
Singh, aged 92, passed away on Thursday night at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, due to age-related illnesses.
Reacting to Sharmisthaโs remarks, her brother Abhijit Mukherjee offered a different perspective, citing restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic during their fatherโs death.
ALSO READ: PM Modiโs tribute to Manmohan Singh is just formality for votes: Congress leader Udit Raj
โThat was (when former President Pranab Mukherjee died) COVID time, there were a lot of restrictions, thatโs why people could not gather. Kejriwalโs administration did not allow even a family member to visit, only 20 people from the family and friends were present. Congress also wanted to take out a rally but couldnโt do so, but they came and visited. PM, Rahul Gandhi, and other leaders came,โ he stated.
However, he added, โAt first, during the CWC meeting, they missed a proper obituary, or there was no separate CWC meeting for his obituary. If my recollection is correct, I think she is referring to that. But later on, they corrected this course of action and did it regularly.โ
