Sharmistha Mukherjee criticizes Congress leadership over memorial proposal for Dr. Manmohan Singh

Sharmistha Mukherjee slams Congress for skipping CWC condolence for Pranab Mukherjee amid Manmohan Singh Memorial row

Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of the late former President Pranab Mukherjee, has publicly criticized Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for proposing a separate memorial for former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dr. Singh passed away at 92 due to age-related illnesses at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday night.

Criticism of Congress leadership

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Sharmistha Mukherjee highlighted what she called the Congress leadership’s lack of respect for her father when he passed away in August 2020. She claimed the party failed to convene a condolence meeting through the Congress Working Committee (CWC), a standard practice for honoring prominent leaders.

When baba passed away, Congress didnt even bother 2 call CWC 4 condolence meeting. A senior leader told me it’s not done 4 Presidents. Thats utter rubbish as I learned later from baba’s diaries that on KR Narayanan’s death, CWC was called & condolence msg was drafted by baba only https://t.co/nbYCF7NsMB

— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) December 27, 2024

According to Mukherjee, a senior Congress leader justified this by stating that such meetings are not held for Indian Presidents, a reasoning she dismissed as “utter rubbish.” She further revealed that her late father’s diaries documented that the CWC had convened and drafted a condolence message upon the passing of former President K R Narayanan, contradicting the Congress leader’s claim.

Historical disregard for non-Gandhi leaders

Sharmistha Mukherjee’s comments were bolstered by a post from BJP leader C R Kesavan, who accused the Congress party of sidelining prominent non-Gandhi leaders. He pointed to Dr. Sanjaya Baru’s book, The Accidental Prime Minister, which alleges similar treatment of former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.

In his book, Dr. Baru claims that the Congress-led UPA government (2004–2014) did not build a memorial for Rao in Delhi after he died in 2004. The book also states that Congress attempted to have Rao cremated in his hometown of Hyderabad rather than in New Delhi.

Sharmistha Mukherjee’s remarks and historical examples raise questions about the Congress party’s treatment of non-Gandhi leaders. This ongoing debate comes at a critical juncture for the party as it seeks to rebuild its image ahead of upcoming elections.

Her statements have sparked further discussion about how political parties honor the legacy of national leaders and whether bias plays a role in such decisions.

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