Congress leader and former Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali on Wednesday termed the decision by the Narendra Modi government to earmark a site for a memorial of former President Pranab Mukherjee as a "grave insult" to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his legacy.
Terming the Centre's move as a "low level politics", Ali also sought to draw a link between Mukherjee and his alleged affinity to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
"The Modi government has indulged in dirty politics over death and has rejected the demand of the entire nation for space for Manmohan Singh at Rajghat memorial site and has given land at the same place for Pranab Mukherjee's memorial. This is low level politics and a grave insult to the Prime Minister who brought economic revolution in the country," Ali said in a post on X.
Ali also recalled Mukherjee's visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur for an event in 2018 and claimed that the Centre's decision was "a gift" to Pranab Mukherjee "for his love for the Sangh".
"This decision of the government is also a gift to Pranab Mukherjee for his love for the Sangh. Pranab Mukherjee had bowed his head at the Nagpur headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and conferred the title of Dhartiputra on Sangh founder Hedgewar. Mukherjee had also played an important role in getting Savarkar's picture installed in the Parliament House," he added.
On June 7, 2018, Mukherjee visited the RSS headquarters and addressed the closing ceremony of the 'Tritiya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg'. He stayed at the RSS HQ for two days where he is believed to have had several discussions with top Sangh leaders.
"The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance. This plurality of our society has come through assimilation of ideas over centuries. Secularism and inclusion are a matter of faith for us. It is our composite culture which makes us into one nation. India's Nationhood is not one language, one religion, one enemy," Mukherjee said in his address.
On Wednesday, the Centre said that it has decided to set up a memorial for former president Pranab Mukherjee at the 'Rashtriya Smriti' area complex.
"The Competent Authority has approved the earmarking of a designated site within the 'Rashtriya Smriti' complex (a part of the Rajghat precinct) for erecting a Samadhi of Late Shri Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India," read a letter to the former President's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee informing her of the decision.
Reacting to the Congress leader's remarks on the development, Sharmishtha wondered how her father Pranab was allowed to serve Congress for 45 years if he was indeed an RSS agent.
"Are Congress high command – starting from Indira Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi – such fools that in 45 years they could not make out that Pranab Mukherjee is an RSS agent? My father passed away over four years back. If this memorial is linked with his RSS visit, why would the government wait for four years?" she told CNN-News18.
Pranab Mukherjee, who served as President of India from 2012 to 2017, breathed his last on August 31, 2020. He was 84 and held various important portfolios in successive Congress-led governments.
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