Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 7: Central government on Tuesday approved a designated site within the “Rashtriya Smriti” complex (a part of the Rajghat precinct) for erecting a Samadhi of former President of India Pranab Mukherjee.
Mr Mukherjee’s daughter, a former Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee, posted the letter from the Land and Development Office of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs dated January 1 informing her of the decision.
“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,” the government said in a letter to Sharmistha Mukherjee informing her of the decision.
Ms Sharmistha, who called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to thank him for the decision, took to X and wrote, “Called on Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi ji to express thanks and gratitude from core of my heart for his governments’ decision to create a memorial for baba. It’s more cherished considering that we didn’t ask for it. Immensely touched by this unexpected but truly gracious gesture by PM.”
“Baba used to say that state honours shouldn’t be asked for, it should be offered. I’m so grateful that PM Modi did this to honour Babas’ memory. It doesn’t affect baba where he is now- beyond applaud or criticism. But for his daughter, words are not sufficient to express my joy,” she added.
Pranab Mukherjee, awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, served as President of India from 2012 to 2017. The former President passed away on August 31, 2020 at the age of 84 after he was tested positive for coronavirus.
Notably, the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal was set up as a common memorial site for former Presidents and Prime Ministers of India. It also includes the memorial to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Sharmistha Mukherjee had recently attacked Congress after it accused the BJP-led Central government for “insulting” the former prime minister Manmohan Singh by conducting his state funeral at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat.
“When baba passed away, Congress didn’t even bother to call CWC for a condolence meeting. A senior leader told me it’s not done for Presidents. That’s utter rubbish as I learned later from baba’s diaries that on K R Narayanan’s death, CWC was called and condolence message was drafted by baba only,” she had posted on X.
“The Congress has to answer for this. I can only state the fact. But I would like to just add, I do not know whether it was deliberate or sheer negligence. What are the conventions in such a grand old party?” she asked. “If there is this loss of institutional memory, if Rahul Gandhi and the people around him do not know how the Congress acted in these earlier situations, that itself is a serious and sad state of affairs within the Congress,” Sharmistha Mukherjee had added.
