Not Present At Ashes Immersion Of Ex-PM To Ensure Privacy To Family: Cong

Congress leader Khera said senior leaders did not accompany family to gather and immerse ashes of Dr Singh to ensure their privacy.

New Delhi:With the BJP criticizing the grand old party leaders for not accompanying former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's family during the immersion of his ashes in the Yamuna, the Congress on Monday said it was to ensure privacy to them.

Congress leader Pawan Khera said the senior leaders did not accompany the family to gather and immerse the ashes of Dr Singh "out of our deference to the privacy of the family". He said after the cremation of our beloved departed leader, senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the family at their residence here.

"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.

There has been a bitter war of words between the Congress and the ruling BJP over the performing of Dr Singh's last rites and the setting up of a memorial in memory of the former prime minister.

The Congress has been alleging that the BJP government has disrespected the ex-PM over the arrangements at the funeral. The ashes of Dr Singh were immersed in the Yamuna River near the Majnu ka Tila Gurdwara by his family members following Sikh rituals.

The ashes were collected from the Nigambodh Ghat on Sunday morning by the family members and later taken to the 'Asth Ghat' on the Yamuna river bank near the gurdwara. Dr 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.

As part of Sikh rituals, the family will hold an 'Akhand Path' at its official residence on 3, Motilal Nehru Marg here on January 1 next year. A 'bhog' ceremony, 'Antim Ardas' and 'kirtan' will be held on January 3 at the Rakab Ganj Gurdwara near the Parliament complex. Dr Singh passed away at Delhi's AIIMS on December 26 due to age-related medical complications. He was 92.

The former prime minister, who ushered in an era of economic liberalisation in the 1990s, was accorded a state funeral at the Nigam Bodh Ghat on Saturday.