Congress politicising former PM’s funeral: Kishan Reddy

Telangana BJP president accuses Congress of politicizing Manmohan Singh's funeral, claims Modi govt honored ex-PM appropriately.

Telangana BJP president and Union Minister of Coal G. Kishan Reddy has accused the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi of ‘politicising’ the funeral of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and claimed that the Modi government has made all arrangements befitting of an ex-PM.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the BJP leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only personally spoke to the family of Mr. Singh but had also deputed top Ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and others, so that the funeral is conducted as per protocols.

“It is insulting to the former PM that his own party is indulging in cheap politics besmirching his reputation. Mr. Singh himself maintained stoicism despite the Congress doing everything during his time as PM to undermine his authority and humiliating him through the National Advisory Committee (NAC) headed by Sonia Gandhi,” he maintained.

Mr. Kishan Reddy said Mr. Singh’s family was informed by the Centre that a proper memorial would be built as soon as a Trust is formed as was done for the previous PMs. The various scams associated with the UPA regime headed by Mr. Singh could be traced to the Gandhi family alone, including the 2G spectrum and others, he claimed.

The Union Minister stated that he himself and his party had great respect for the former Prime Minister when in power and later whereas the Congress leaders from Mr. Rahul Gandhi onwards had treated him in a cavalier manner blaming all the failures of the then government at Mr. Singh’s door.

He sought to point out that the Congress had also treated another former PM P.V. Narasimha Rao in a typical manner not even allowing an official funeral to be held in Delhi. Hence, the BJP leader found it rather strange that Mr. Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders have been criticising the Modi government when it has taken all the necessary steps to show its regard to the departed leader.