The Congress party has addressed the criticism from the BJP regarding the absence of its leaders during the immersion of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s ashes in the Yamuna River. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera stated that the party chose not to accompany Singh’s family to allow them the privacy they needed during this emotionally charged moment.
Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra visited Singh’s family following his funeral
Khera emphasized that senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited Singh’s family following his funeral. He explained that the decision to refrain from attending the immersion was made out of “deference to the privacy of the family.”
“After discussing with them, it was felt that since the family did not get any privacy at the time of the cremation and some extended family members could not reach the pyre site, it would be appropriate to give them some privacy for the ‘Phool Chunana’ and the immersion of the ashes, which is an emotionally painful and difficult ceremony for close family members,” Khera said in a statement.
The ashes were collected from Nigambodh Ghat on Sunday morning by Singh’s family and later taken to the ‘Asth Ghat’ on the Yamuna riverbank near the gurdwara. Singh’s wife, Gursharan Kaur, and their three daughters—Upinder Singh, Daman Singh, and Amrit Singh—were present at the immersion site along with other relatives.
Manmohan Singh, who served as Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife and three daughters. Singh is widely credited with initiating economic reforms that have significantly contributed to India’s rapid growth over the past three decades.
