Cong slams govt on 'lapses' in Singh's funeral arrangements

The Congress on Saturday intensified its attack on the Union government over both the handling of former prime minister Manmohan Singh's funeral at Nigambodh Ghat and the continuing uncertainty over his memorial site, alleging a series of protocol breaches and "deliberate disrespect" to India's first Sikh prime minister.

By late evening, the controversy snowballed into a major political row as senior Congress leader KC Venugopal accused the government of being "hell-bent on diminishing Singh's stature for petty political reasons", after BJP president JP Nadda alleged it was the Congress that had "tarnished the dignity of the Prime Minister's office" during Singh's tenure.

Nadda was reacting to a growing chorus of anger from Congress leaders. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera detailed multiple alleged lapses during the ceremony, including restricted media access, inadequate seating for family members, and protocol violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet.

"The disgraceful treatment of a towering statesman exposes the government's priorities and lack of respect for democratic values," Khera said in a post on X, highlighting that only Doordarshan was allowed to cover the event, with its coverage focusing primarily on Modi and home minister Amit Shah rather than Singh's family.