My Father’s Death Was Ignored by Congress: Sharmistha Mukherjee’s Criticism

Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Congress party, alleging that it failed to pay proper tributes to her late father following his demise in 2020. She stated that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) did not even convene a meeting to honor the memory of the former President.

Speaking through the platform X (formerly Twitter), Sharmistha accused the Congress leadership of misleading her regarding the traditions followed for paying homage to Presidents. According to her, a senior Congress leader had claimed that CWC meetings are not traditionally held for Presidents after their passing. However, upon reading her father’s personal diary, she discovered that this was untrue. She pointed out that the CWC had convened a meeting to pay tributes to K. R. Narayanan, a former President of India.

Sharmistha Mukherjee highlighted her disappointment, noting that her father’s contributions were overlooked. She remarked that this lack of recognition by the Congress party deeply upset her, as Pranab Mukherjee had served the party for decades before becoming the President.

The issue arises amidst ongoing discussions about paying tribute to late political figures. Recently, Mallikarjun Kharge, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) President, requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish a memorial at the site of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s cremation. The central government had organized state honors for Singh’s funeral, setting a precedent for respectful commemoration.