Memorial for Pranab, not for Manmohan meant to tease Oppn: NCP(SP) leader Memon

New Delhi, Jan 8 The Centre’s decision to build a memorial for former President Pranab Mukherjee and not for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, both deceased Congress veterans, is a deliberate attempt to ‘reward’ those close to the Modi government and ‘undermine’ the legacy of a renowned economist who laid the groundwork for the country’s liberalisation, said NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Majeed Memon on Wednesday.

In an interaction with IANS, Memon claimed that the decision to allocate land near Rajghat for late Pranab Mukherjee’s memorial is a partisan move and called upon the top leadership, including the Prime Minister to do a re-think and ‘act wisely’ in the larger interest of the nation.

“The Congress raised the demand for a memorial for Dr Manmohan Singh soon after his demise. But, they (Centre) have been dilly-dallying and refraining from announcing the same for the country’s topmost economist. This is being done to tease the Opposition. But, they must know that the countrymen are watching,” Memon said.

The former Rajya Sabha MP further claimed that Pranab Mukherjee, despite being a Congress veteran all his life, was close to PM Modi during his later years and hence the Centre was being ‘kinder’ to him.

On Tuesday, Pranab’s daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee shared a letter from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs which said that a designated site has been earmarked for him, near the Rajghat. She also thanked the Prime Minister for extending the honour while recalling her father’s words, “state honours shouldn’t be asked for, it should be offered.”

The passing away of Manmohan Singh, two-term PM during UPA I & II on December 26, sparked a verbal duel between the Congress and the BJP.

The Congress party demanded that the Centre allocate land for building his memorial near the Rajghat to honour his contributions and legacy while the BJP shot back, accusing the grand old party of not respecting him when he was alive and of political posturing even after his demise.

Source: IANS