Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the government’s decision to create a memorial for the late former president.
Sharmistha said she was touched by the gesture as it came without the family asking for it. “Baba used to say that State honours shouldn’t be asked for, it should be offered. I’m so grateful that PM Modi did this to honour babas’ memory. It doesnt affect baba where he is now- beyond applaud or criticism. But for his daughter, words are not sufficient to express my joy,” she wrote in a post on X.
Pranab Mukherjee served as the 13th President of India from 2012-2017. In a political career spanning five decades, Mukherjee was a senior leader in the Indian National Congress and occupied several ministerial portfolios in the Government of India. Prior to his election as President, Mukherjee was Finance Minister from 2009 to 2012. He was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 2019, by his successor as president, Ram Nath Kovind.
Earlier, Sharmistha had said she felt bad when Congress did not call a CWC meeting to formally pay condolences to her father during his demise.
“When Baba died, I was in active politics and part of the Congress. I was shocked that no formal CWC was called and no condolence resolution was passed. As far as I have the idea, it was in Congress’ convention. Sonia Gandhi personally sent me a letter but as an institution, no condolences were passed. Before president, he was a stalwart Congress leader for 45 years. He was associated with CWC for 30 years,” Mukherjee told ANI.”Someone told me that the president is above party lines so this was not followed but after Baba’s death, I was reading his diaries and I came to know that when former president KR Narayan died, then a CWC condolence meeting was called; my father drafted the message,” she said.
