Manmohan Singh Memorial site pending; Akhand Path held at residence

NEW DELHI: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi attended an Akhand Path held in memory of India’s former Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. The ceremony was held at his residence on January 3.

 

पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ मनमोहन सिंह जी ने देश सेवा में अनूठा योगदान दिया। वे सहजता , सादगी और समर्पण की मिसाल थे। देश को उनकी कमी हमेशा खलेगी।

आज उनके निवास स्थान पर अखंड पाठ पर उन्हें श्रद्धांजलि। pic.twitter.com/eomTOzSpDF

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) January 3, 2025

 

Kharge posted on X, “Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Ji made a unique contribution to serving the country. He was an example of spontaneity, simplicity, and dedication. The country will always miss him. Tribute to him today through Akhand Path at his residence.”

 

Meanwhile, the final site for Singh’s memorial is still awaiting confirmation. Top officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have shortlisted three potential sites for the memorial:

 

Ekta Sthal: Currently housing the samadhi of former President Giani Zail Singh, it lies between Shanti Van (Jawaharlal Nehru’s memorial) and Vijay Ghat along Rajghat.

 

Vijay Ghat: The memorial site of India’s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, is located on the main Ring Road near Rajghat.

 

Rashtriya Smriti Sthal: A designated memorial complex for departed leaders, situated near Ekta Sthal.

 

 

The allocation of land will follow the establishment of a Trust, with family members of former Prime Minister Singh being invited to nominate members.

 

This development follows the government’s approval of the Congress party’s request for a memorial for Singh, who passed away on December 26. A controversy had earlier erupted over the location of his last rites, conducted at Nigam Bodh Ghat.

 

 

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised this as being disrespectful, suggesting that a site suitable for a memorial should have been used instead. In response, BJP President and Union Minister J.P. Nadda defended the government, asserting that potential memorial sites had already been identified and communicated to Singh’s family. He accused the Congress of spreading misleading information.

 

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Previously, the Congress had proposed a site within the Shakti Sthal complex, where former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s memorial stands. This location is adjacent to Kisan Ghat and Rajghat. However, the Home Ministry clarified that Union Home Minister Amit Shah explained that while a memorial site would be allocated, immediate funeral arrangements had to proceed as per protocol.

 

Notably, during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister, his government passed a resolution in 2013 to establish Rashtriya Smriti Sthal as a consolidated memorial ground, citing space constraints. The resolution discouraged individual memorials for leaders.