The Congress party’s double standards in honoring its former Prime Ministers has again come to the forefront, highlighting stark differences in its treatment of Dr. Manmohan Singh and the late PV Narasimha Rao.
Yesterday, the Congress party appealed to the Central Government to conduct the last rites of former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh at Rajghat and to establish a dedicated memorial in his honor. However, this request contrasts sharply with the party’s actions two decades ago following the death of another former PM PV Narasimha Rao, a distinguished leader and a beloved son of Telangana.
When Narasimha Rao passed away in 2004, the Congress party closed the gates of its AICC headquarters, denying his body entry for party members to pay their respects. His mortal remains were hurriedly sent to Hyderabad for the last rites, despite his family’s objections. Reports indicate that the Congress leadership exerted undue pressure on Rao’s family, culminating in what many viewed as a grievous insult to a leader who had steered both the party and the nation through turbulent times.
Adding to the indignity, minimal arrangements were made for Rao’s funeral in Hyderabad. Disturbing reports even suggested that his partially burnt body was left vulnerable to scavenging animals. This stark neglect stands in sharp contrast to the respect and prominence afforded to other senior leaders of the party.
Narasimha Rao’s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by pivotal economic reforms, accomplished in collaboration with Dr. Manmohan Singh, who served as his Finance Minister. It was Rao who identified Singh’s potential and brought him into politics, laying the foundation for India’s economic liberalization. Despite this, when Rao passed away, neither the Congress high command nor the then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could counter Sonia Gandhi’s reported objections to granting Rao due honors.
The Congress party’s standard practice of allowing party members to pay homage to deceased leaders at the AICC headquarters was inexplicably bypassed in Rao’s case. This raises questions about Sonia Gandhi’s apparent antipathy towards Rao, which remains unexplained to this day.
Ironically, it was during Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister that the Union Cabinet in 2013 decided to establish memorials for former Prime Ministers at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, given the lack of space at Rajghat. Yet, the Congress is now demanding a separate memorial at Rajghat for Manmohan Singh, contradicting its earlier stance.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted that not establishing a separate memorial for Dr. Manmohan Singh amounts to insulting India’s first Sikh Prime Minister. However, it is worth noting that neither any senior Congress leader nor Telangana Congress leaders have spoken out about the gross disrespect and injustice meted out to Narasimha Rao.