Pranab Mukherjee’s Daughter Criticizes Congress for Sidelining Its Leaders Amid Memorial Debate
New Delhi, 30th December 2024: Amid the ongoing debate over the Manmohan Singh memorial, Sharmishtha Mukherjee, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, has criticized the Congress for its treatment of its leaders. She accused the party of sidelining it while claiming that the BJP has been more inclusive in honouring Congress figures.
“The BJP has been more inclusive. They have respected our leaders more than Congress did. Look at how they honoured Tarun Gogoi and Ghulam Nabi Azad, who were Congressmen. The Congress tends to push its leaders away,” she stated in an interview with CNN-News18.
The Congress is raising the issue of a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accusing the Centre of being disrespectful and anti-Sikh. However, Sharmishtha, a member of the Congress herself, has pointed out that the party has failed to show proper respect for its leaders.
Her remarks come as the BJP has criticized the Congress for similar treatment of Dr Singh and former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. The BJP has also accused the Congress of engaging in “dirty” politics over Singh’s state funeral and memorial.
Sharmishtha expressed confusion over the Congress’s approach to the memorial, saying, “I don’t understand why the Congress is making a political issue out of this. The government has agreed to the memorial, so why the fuss?”
Her comments are also influenced by personal experiences, particularly with her father’s relationship with Congress. In her biography, based on her father’s diaries, she revealed that the party did not hold a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting after her father’s death, though one was convened for Manmohan Singh. “When I asked about it, they said they don’t do that for former Presidents. But when I checked later, I found they did it for former President KR Narayanan,” she said.
Sharmishtha also recalled how, at her father’s Bharat Ratna ceremony, only a few senior leaders attended, including Ahmed Patel, Hooda, and Anand Sharma. “No one else turned up. I didn’t say anything then, but now I feel that was wrong,” she said.
She also criticized Rahul Gandhi’s actions in 2013 when he tore up an ordinance that could have protected him from disqualification as an MP, calling it a sign of arrogance. “This was disrespectful to a Prime Minister who was abroad. If it had been anyone else, they would have faced consequences, but not Rahul Gandhi,” she said.
