Amid row, govt to allocate space for Manmohan Singh memorial in Delhi

The government will allocate space for a memorial of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and this has been communicated to his family and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Union home ministry said on Friday night.

IMAGE: The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Dr ManmohanSingh being taken from his residence to the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, December 28, 2024.Photograph: ANI on X

In a late-night release titled Facts of the matter regarding memorial for Former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh, the ministry said the government received a request to allocate space for a memorial for Singh from the Congress chief.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Kharge and the family of Manmohan Singh that the government would 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 home ministry said.

Singh, who headed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and is credited with economic reforms, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92.

He was India's prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

Amid controversy, the Centre on Friday decided to build a memorial to Manmohan Singh in the national capital, official sources said as they accused the Congress of doing politics over the issue.

The sources said the decision on the memorial has been conveyed to the Congress, but added that it will take a few days to find an appropriate venue for building a memorial.

"The government's decision to build a memorial in honour of Manmohan Singh has been conveyed to the Congress. But they have engaged in politics over the issue," a government source said.

Singh, who headed the Congress-led UPA government and is credited with economic reforms, passed away on Thursday at 92. He was India's prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial for Singh is a deliberate insult to the country's first Sikh prime minister.

The Congress raised the issue 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.