Dirty politics: Hardeep Puri rebuts Congress charge over Manmohan Singh funeral

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday accused the Congress of engaging in “dirty politics” following allegations of mismanagement during the state funeral of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Congress leaders, led by Rahul Gandhi, have attacked the government for holding Singh’s cremation ceremony at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat instead of Rajghat, alleging disrespect to the two-time Prime Minister’s legacy. The Congress is playing dirty politics.” Puri also addressed claims that BJP ignored protocol, explaining that a letter from Congress requesting specific arrangements for the funeral arrived late. “We should ask Congress whether such arrangements were feasible during this kind of rainfall.” He pointed out that the grand old party "insulted" its own leaders in the past, saying, “This is the same Congress which didn’t allow PV Narasimha Rao’s mortal remains to come to the party headquarters, and his final cremation was done in Hyderabad.” The BJP leader also jabbed the Congress for its past treatment of Singh, and claimed that senior leaders were conspicuously absent from the immersion of his ashes today.