The funeral of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday became the center of political controversy, with the Congress accusing the central government of mismanaging the event and showing disrespect. Congress leader Pawan Khera expressed outrage, calling the state funeral a “shocking display of disrespect and mismanagement.” He criticized the media coverage, claiming that only Doordarshan was allowed to cover the event, and that the channel focused on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah while barely covering Singh’s family. He also alleged that the family was provided inadequate seating, and that the family members were treated poorly during key moments, such as the gun salute and the flag handover.
Additionally, Khera claimed that Amit Shah’s motorcade disrupted the funeral procession, delaying the arrival of the family members. He also pointed out that diplomats were seated away from the ceremony and accused the government of dishonoring Singh, a “towering statesman.”
In response, BJP president JP Nadda slammed Congress for politicizing the event, particularly accusing Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of playing “cheap politics.” Nadda rejected the Congress’s claims, stating that the government had already allocated space for Singh’s memorial and had informed his family about it. He also urged Congress leaders to stop spreading lies and criticized them for not showing respect to Singh during his lifetime.
Manmohan Singh, who served as India’s Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92. His death has led to widespread tributes from political leaders across the spectrum.
