NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Monday issued clarification on BJP’s allegations that the top party leaders did not accompany the family for immersion of the ashes of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“Senior Congress leaders did not accompany the family to gather and immerse the ashes of Manmohan Singh ji out of our deference to the privacy of the family,” AICC’s media and publicity chairperson Pawan Khera said in a statement released on Monday.
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The statement further read, “After the cremation of our beloved departed leader, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the family at their residence.”
“After discussing with them, it was felt that since the family did not get any privacy at the time of the cremation and some extended family members could not reach the pyre site, it would be appropriate to give them some privacy for the Phool Chunana and the immersion of the ashes which is an emotionally painful and difficult ceremony for close family members,” the statement added.
The ashes of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were immersed in the Yamuna River near the Majnu ka Tila Gurdwara on Sunday by his family members, following Sikh rituals.
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Singh’s ashes were collected from the Nigambodh Ghat on Sunday morning and taken to the ‘Asth Ghat’ on the Yamuna River bank near the gurdwara for immersion.
His wife, Gursharan Kaur, and their three daughters—Upinder Singh, Daman Singh, and Amrit Singh—were present at the ceremony along with other relatives.
However, the BJP criticized the absence of members of the Gandhi family during the immersion. “Very sad to see that not a single member of Congress or the Gandhi family showed up to collect the remains of Manmohan Singh ji. For media attention and to politicise, Congress was present, but when it came to honouring him with dignity, they were absent. Truly shameful,” BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya said in a post on X.
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BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “It’s a sad moment for all of us. However, it’s true that no one was there from the Gandhi family today (during the immersion of Singh’s ashes). Today, when there was no camera, there was no one from Congress. This is a sad thing. Manmohan Singh is highly respected.”
BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa was seen along with Manmohan Singh’s family members collecting his remains.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS Delhi on December 26 due to age-related medical complications. He was 92.