New Delhi: There’s an old saying in politics: ‘A lion can turn in any direction.’ Something similar happened during the funeral procession of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
As the cortège proceeded from the All India Congress Committee headquarters to Nigambodh Ghat Saturday morning, Rahul Gandhi and many senior leaders stood in the Army truck carrying the casket while Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge followed in a separate vehicle. The Congress managed to sneak a cameraman of its own into the army truck.
Congress workers chanted slogans like ‘‘Jab Tak Suraj Chand Rahega, Manmohan Aapka Naam Rahega’’ and ‘‘Manmohan Singh Amar Rahein’’ as the cortège made its way to its destination.
The President, the Vice President, the prime minister, several cabinet ministers and other dignitaries—including the King of Bhutan and the foreign minister of Mauritius—were present at Nigambodh Ghat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi could be seen shaking hands with many of those in attendance.
That’s when something changed.
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None of the mediapersons who had accompanied the procession were allowed inside. Only Doordarshan cameras had access to the funeral site, although the Congress did manage to livestream the funeral rites as its cameraman had managed to enter the site in the Army truck.
But through Doordarshan’s lens, it was mostly faces from the ruling party that were visible at this historic scene.
Glimpses of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and the other Congress leaders present were few and far between.
It seemed as if the BJP had lost its leader, not the Congress.
In the afternoon, Priyanka Gandhi, in a post on X accusing the government of “narrow-mindedness”, wrote: ‘‘This morning, I felt this when I saw Dr. Manmohan Singh’s family members struggling for a place at the funeral site, trying to find a place in the crowd, and the general public getting troubled due to lack of space and paying tribute from the road outside.’’
पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ मनमोहन सिंह जी के अंतिम संस्कार के लिए यथोचित स्थान न उपलब्ध कराकर सरकार ने पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री के पद की गरिमा, मनमोहन सिंह जी की शख्सियत, उनकी विरासत और खुद्दार सिख समुदाय के साथ न्याय नहीं किया।
इससे पहले सभी पूर्व प्रधानमंत्रियों को सर्वोच्च सम्मान और…
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 28, 2024
Later, the Congress lambasted the government, saying Singh’s state funeral was “a shocking display of disrespect and mismanagement”.
In a statement posted on X, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged that no news agencies other than Doordarshan were allowed to telecast the last rites, resulting in the cameras focusing primarily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, “barely covering Dr Manmohan Singh’s family”.
डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह के राजकीय अंतिम संस्कार में असम्मान और कुप्रबंधन का चौंकाने वाला प्रदर्शन –
▪️डीडी (दूरदर्शन) को छोड़कर किसी भी समाचार एजेंसी को अनुमति नहीं दी गई; डीडी ने मोदी और शाह पर ध्यान केंद्रित किया, डॉ. सिंह के परिवार को बमुश्किल ही कवर किया।
▪️डॉ. सिंह के परिवार के…
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) December 28, 2024
Khera also alleged that only three chairs were kept for Singh’s family members on the front row, because of which Congress leaders had to insist on more chairs for his daughters and other relatives.
“The PM and ministers did not stand up when the national flag was handed to the widow of the late prime minister, or during the gun salute. The family was given inadequate space around the pyre due to soldiers occupying one side. Dr Singh’s grandchildren performing last rites had to jostle for space to reach the pyre,” Khera wrote.
He added: “Amit Shah’s motorcade disrupted the funeral procession, leaving family cars outside. The gate was closed, and family members had to be located and brought back in. The public was kept out, left watching from outside the venue.”
The Congress leader said that as diplomats were seated elsewhere, they were not visible on the cameras. “Shockingly, the PM did not stand when the King of Bhutan stood.”
The entire funeral area was cramped and poorly organised, leaving no space for many participants in the procession, he alleged.
When asked about the restrictions, a senior Delhi Police officer told ThePrint: “The Ministry of Defence had orally informed the Delhi Police not to allow the media inside. This was done in light of the law-and-order situation and to ensure security, as many dignitaries were present at the ceremony. Additionally, Dr Singh’s family had reservations about people approaching the pyre, which was considered while devising the security deployment plan.”
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