Sat Dec 28 07:20:00 UTC 2024: ## Row Erupts Over Memorial for Former PM Manmohan Singh as Nation Mourns
**New Delhi** – A dispute has arisen over the planned memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away at AIIMS Delhi on Thursday at the age of 92. His final rites will be held with full state honors at Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday at 11:45 am. His body will lie in state at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters from 8:30 am to 9:30 am on Saturday, allowing the public and party members to pay their respects.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to discuss the possibility of constructing a memorial at the cremation site, citing tradition. While the Centre has assured a location will be allocated for the memorial, the swiftness of the response has drawn criticism.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed frustration over the delay in securing a site, deeming it an insult to India’s first Sikh Prime Minister. The BJP retorted, accusing the Congress of playing politics, citing the treatment of former Prime Ministers Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee after their deaths.
Dr. Singh’s distinguished career included serving as the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and Finance Minister under P.V. Narasimha Rao. His death has prompted a national outpouring of grief, but the controversy surrounding his memorial casts a shadow over the mourning period.
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