High-level meeting held; government shortlists Ekta Sthal, Vijay Ghat for Manmohan Singh’s memorial

Ekta Sthal is home to former President Giani Zail Singh’s samadhi; Vijay Ghat houses the memorial of India’s second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri; Rashtriya Smriti Sthal is a designated memorial complex for departed leaders.

While Vijay Ghat is located on the main Ring Road near Rajghat (Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial), Ekta Sthal lies between Shanti Van (Jawaharlal Nehru’s samadhi) and Vijay Ghat, along Rajghat, and Rashtriya Smriti Sthal is near Ekta Sthal.

According to sources, Urban Development Secretary K Srinivas will inform Singh’s family about the proposed sites. Land allocation will follow the establishment of a Trust, for which the family would be asked to nominate members.

The development comes almost a week after the Centre agreed to the Congress’s request for a memorial for Singh, who died on December 26.

The controversy erupted when Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the government for conducting Singh’s last rites at Nigambodh Ghat, calling it disrespectful to the former Prime Minister. The Congress had sought to hold Singh’s cremation at a site suitable for constructing a memorial.

In response, BJP president and Union Minister J P Nadda defended the government’s position, stating that they had already identified potential locations for a memorial and had communicated this to Singh’s family. He accused the Congress of circulating misleading information.

Earlier, the Congress had suggested earmarking space within the Shakti Sthal complex, where former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s memorial stands. This location, along with Kisan Ghat, is in close proximity to Rajghat.

While the Congress claimed its request for a memorial space had been ignored, the government quickly clarified its position through an official statement.

The Home Ministry confirmed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had discussed the matter with Singh’s family members and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The ministry explained that while space for a memorial would be allocated, immediate funeral arrangements could proceed, noting that the process would involve establishing a Trust and formally designating the space.

Incidentally, during his tenure as Prime Minister, Singh’s UPA administration had taken a stand against individual memorials. Citing space constraints, his Cabinet had passed a resolution in 2013 to establish Rashtriya Smriti Sthal as a consolidated memorial ground.