Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, Delhi, January 8, 2025 : The Narendra Modi-led government has announced plans to construct a memorial for the late President Pranab Mukherjee at the heart of New Delhi. The Union Ministry of Urban Development has earmarked land at Rajghat, the iconic national memorial area, as the site for the tribute.
Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of the late President and a former Congress spokesperson, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to express her gratitude after receiving official communication from the government regarding the memorial’s establishment.
Despite having ideological differences with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pranab Mukherjee maintained cordial personal relationships with several BJP leaders throughout his political career. Notably, he shared a close bond with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with whom he was neighbors and often went for morning walks. Pranab also had a longstanding relationship with Narendra Modi, which began well before the latter assumed the role of Prime Minister. The two leaders shared a mutual respect, with Modi even seeking Pranab’s guidance shortly after his election.
In an early interaction following Modi’s swearing-in as Prime Minister, the two engaged in a long conversation at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. During the meeting, Modi assured Pranab that if any issues arose, he would be available at any time to offer assistance. This camaraderie between the two political figures did not sit well with some members of the Congress party. Furthermore, the relationship faced additional scrutiny following Pranab’s speech at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, which was criticized by his daughter Sharmistha, though Pranab did not take the criticism to heart. He believed in maintaining open channels of dialogue, even with those who held differing ideological stances.
Pranab Mukherjee’s contributions to the nation were further recognized when he was awarded the Bharat Ratna by the Modi government. The decision to allocate land for his memorial reflects the government’s acknowledgment of his legacy and his role in shaping India’s political landscape.
The memorial, once completed, will serve as a lasting tribute to one of India’s most respected political figures, marking a moment of reconciliation and mutual respect between differing political ideologies.