Manmohan’s funeral: Congress says ‘focus was on PM Modi’, BJP asks it to ‘stop politicising’

“Have you ever heard of another former PM whose funeral was conducted at Nigambodh Ghat? We didn’t speak a lot about it because it wasn’t such a time. Rahul ji and Priyanka ji even said that you (the government) can use some place in Shakti Sthal. They wanted Dr Manmohan Singh’s funeral to happen in a place where his memorial could be built, but the government didn’t agree to it,” said Khera.

Khera alleged that the funeral ceremony was mismanaged by the government. “News agencies weren’t allowed. And Doordarshan was showing the PM, and his ministers. There was no focus on family members of the person whose funeral was being performed. Is it necessary to always show the PM? It was the cremation of a son of India, but the focus was on the PM,” Khera said.

He also asked why Dr Singh’s family was given “only three seats” in the front row. “There were three daughters of the former PM, their families and his wife. Congress leaders had to struggle to get seats added in the front row. There was so much mismanagement that the people who had to perform rituals during cremation couldn’t be found. When Home Minister Amit Shah’s convoy came, everything was disrupted,” Khera alleged.

The Congress leader said that the “the Prime Minister was sitting when the Tricolour was being handed over to the former PM’s wife”. He claimed that the government issued a notification for the construction of a memorial for the former PM “only after pressure from the Congress”.

Replying to Khera’s allegations, BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya said: “It’s a shame that the Congress continues to politicise the former PM’s death.”

On Khera’s allegation that no other news agencies were allowed to cover the event, Malviya said national functions are covered by only DD.

The BJP leader said seating at the funeral site was arranged by the Central Public Works Department in consultation with the Delhi Police. “Five seats were earmarked for family members in the first row. These were occupied by Mrs Manmohan Singh and her three daughters,” he said. The remaining 20 seats were for constitutional authorities who were to lay a wreath. “These included the President of India, the King of Bhutan, the Vice President, the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, leaders of the Opposition and service chiefs, among others,” he said.

“No other person was allotted a front-row seat. In the second row, eight seats were earmarked for the family members. In the next two rows, the enclosure was earmarked for the family members of Dr Singh,” he added.

On Khera’s allegation that Modi and the Union ministers did not stand up when the national flag was handed to Singh’s widow or during the gun salute, Malviya said the State funeral was done with “full military honours”. “There was no deviation in the process,” he added.

On the charge that Singh’s family was given inadequate space around the pyre, Malviya said only family members, priests and ceremonial guards were present there.

The BJP leader also denied the allegation that Shah’s motorcade disrupted the funeral procession.

Public restriction was imposed by the security agencies for “overall security”, he said, adding “the whole venue was full.”

“We hope the Congress will stop exploiting Dr Manmohan Singh in death and accord him the dignity he deserves,” Malavya said.