AGARTALA: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday criticised the Gandhi family, accusing them of never showing respect to non-Gandhi leaders within the Congress party.
Joshi dismissed the Congress party’s claims that the Centre had insulted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by performing his last rites at Nigambodh Ghat, rather than at a designated spot that could have been turned into a memorial.
He termed the allegations as “unfortunate and cheap politics.”
“Despite our ideological and political differences with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he was a person deserving of great respect. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took all necessary steps to ensure that Singh received full state honours at his funeral,” Joshi stated.
He further pointed out that Congress had similarly failed to honour other prominent leaders, such as former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and former President Pranab Mukherjee.
“Now, Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter has mentioned that the Congress did not even convene a CWC meeting after her father’s death,” he added.
Joshi emphasised, “The Gandhi family has never given respect to non-Gandhi Congress leaders. They didn’t award the Bharat Ratna to P.V. Narasimha Rao, nor did they show respect to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The Gandhi family should introspect on these issues.”
Joshi, who serves as the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, as well as New and Renewable Energy, is currently on a two-day visit to Tripura to review centrally sponsored schemes under his ministries.
