Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, has criticised Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for allegedly travelling to Vietnam just days after the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“As an ordinary, concerned citizen of the country, I would definitely like to question Rahul Gandhi on why, when the nation was mourning the death of a Prime Minister, who was a stalwart of his own party, did he have to take off for a foreign trip to celebrate New Year’s?” Mukherjee told in an interview.
She also questioned the absence of senior Congress leaders during the collection of remains of former prime minister Manmohan Singh after his cremation.
Singh, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014, died on December 26 at the age of 92.
“This is a time when the party should have strongly stood behind the former Prime Minister’s family,” Mukherjee told India Today. “When my father died, I got individual condolences from party leaders. It was fair enough that no one came after that since it was during the Covid-19 pandemic. But now there is no Covid, no restriction. Then why was no Congress leader present for the ash collection ritual?”
She added: “Why did Rahul Gandhi fly away? Why did he have to do that at a time like this?”
The controversy
The controversy erupted last week after the BJP alleged that Rahul Gandhi allegedly flew to Vietnam to usher in the New Year just days after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s death, saying he insulted and abused the late Congress leader.
The BJP’s attack came in the wake of the Congress’s allegation that the Central government insulted Manmohan Singh by not cremating him at a spot earmarked for his memorial.
“While the country is mourning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s demise, Rahul Gandhi has flown abroad to bring in the New Year even as the nation observes seven days of mourning. Congress doesn’t care for Dr Manmohan Singh. They abused and insulted him during his lifetime,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla had told ANI.
The BJP also accused that no Congress leader was present to collect the remains of former prime minister Manmohan Singh after his cremation.
The Congress, however, clarified that it was a decision taken in consultation with the bereaved family to respect their privacy.
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