Sharmistha Mukherjee recently expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the central government designated land for a memorial honoring her father, former President Pranab Mukherjee. In a post on social media, she thanked PM Modi for this unexpected yet gracious gesture, highlighting that her family did not solicit this tribute.
Sharmistha shared that her father often said state honors should not be requested, but rather offered. She expressed her deep appreciation for how Modi’s decision pays respect to her father’s memory. Although the tribute may not impact her father, who has passed away, she conveyed that words cannot adequately express her joy.
The central government confirmed the decision in a letter stating that the site has been approved for establishing a Samadhi for the late Shri Pranab Mukherjee within the Rashtriya Smriti complex, part of the Rajghat area.
This announcement follows Sharmistha’s criticisms of the Congress Party regarding their handling of the funeral arrangements for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who died on December 26, 2024. She pointed out that when her father passed away, the Congress did not convene a condolence meeting of the Congress Working Committee, a practice she found concerning given her father’s own historical records of honoring departed leaders.
In her statements, Sharmistha emphasized the importance of respecting past leaders through appropriate tributes, irrespective of political affiliations.
