The Congress party has demanded a memorial to be built at the designated place of the cremation of the Former Prime Minister, Late Dr. Manmohan Singh.

• Mr. Singh was cremated at the Nigambodh Ghat in Central Delhi, a first for any former PM.
• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declared seven days of State mourning and announced a state funeral for the dignitary. 

Memorials for Former Prime Ministers

• Rule: There are certain guidelines which exist for State funerals but no specific rule or government order regarding allocation of space for memorials for former PMs.
• Convention: Conducting the last rites of the former Prime Minister on a general cremation ground is a departure from convention, whereby former PMs have been cremated at designated places.
• Maintenance: The Ministry of Urban Development looks after the upkeep and maintenance of the Samadhis adjacent to Rajghat, Morarji Desai’s Samadhi at Abhay Ghat at Ahmedabad and the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial at Sriperumbudur.
  • The memorials of other various personalities are maintained by the respective State Governments and local municipalities.
• For Former PMs: Except PM Vishwanath Pratap Singh, all other former PMs have memorials dedicated to them, majorly in Raj Ghat Complex, Delhi and other parts of the country.
  • In 2013, due to paucity of space, the government decided to build all future memorials at Smriti Sthal.

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