Details of Insults hurled on PV Narasimha Rao in his death by Manmohan Singh as the PM and Sonia as the Chairperson of UPA Govt.

Not only Sonia, equally Manmohan Singh who was the Prime Minister at that time and disciple of Rao, has to share the blame – more on his shoulder than Sonia, as the power to take any decision rested with him constitutionally.

P.V.Narasimha Rao breathed his last on 23rd December 2004 after suffering a cardiac arrest. His eight sons had gathered around him and Prabhakar, the youngest son of Rao, had planned the cremation to be held in Delhi, a place where he lived more than 3 decades serving as union minister in various ministries and as the Prime Minister of India. But, Shivraj Patil, the Home Minister told Prabhakar that the cremation cannot be held in Delhi and suggested him to take the body to Hyderabad. This was also suggested by Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Then around 6.30 pm, Sonia Gandhi arrived with PM Manmohan Singh. The PM asked Prabhakar regarding cremation and the latter expressed his desire of cremating Narasimha Rao in New Delhi.  Sonia who was standing beside, did not speak a word. Manmohan Singh, as usual, just nodded.

When PM and Sonia left, Prabhakar Rao was under immense pressure from all senior ministers and Congress leaders to the body to Hyderabad for cremationa which he  finally had to agree. 

The next day, 24 December 2004, when the body was being taken from his home to the airport, his son expressed the desire that his body be taken via 24, Akbar Road (the headquarter of Congress party) and kept there for a moment in tribute to the fact that PV Rao had devoted his whole life to Congress party. However, the gate of the INC headquarters was shut and Rao’s son was sternly said that the gate will not open, much to the disbelief of Prabhakar. The greatest insult to PV was yet to come. At the cremation ground, Congress leaders of Andhra Pradesh were hardly to be seen.

Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister when all these happened. Singh became famous only due to Rao. When MMS could not tolerate the pressure of politics after his budget, it was PV who took all political blame and shielded the ‘economist’ Dr. Singh. 

The political pressure on the finance minister post the liberalisation budget of 1991 was so immense that Manmohan Singh was completely broken. Thrice did he offer his resignation letter, but PV assured as the Prime Minister, he will take every attack. PV gave full protection, support and independence to MMS to implement all the reforms without any hesitation. 

Even the demand of Rao’s family that a memorial for PV be built in Delhi was also not considered by the PM MMS and Congress Party.  Why was MMS, the PM of India, so helpless for someone who was mentor, guru and launched him to fame?

The Congress party, at the directions of Sonia Gandhi, disowned him and did not let a memorial come in Delhi.

It took 11 years and a Narendra Modi to finally build a memorial to one of the greatest Prime Ministers in the history of India.