The Centre recently decided to rename Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) as Prime Ministers’ Museum and Society on Friday after which a war of words broke out between Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Culture Ministry said on Friday that it had been decided to change the name of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society to Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society. The decision was taken at a special meeting of the Memorial Museum and Library Society which was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the Vice-President of the Society. Several Congress leaders attacked the Centre over the move and slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday slammed the Centre over the decision to change the name of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) to Prime Minister’s Museum and said that the move shows the “cheap mentality and dictatorial attitude” of the BJP and RSS.
Kharge said those who do not have a history of their own are out to erase the history of others.
“The condemnable attempt to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library cannot belittle the personality of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India and fearless guardian of democracy. This only shows the cheap mentality and dictatorial attitude of BJP-RSS.” Kharge said in a tweet.
“The narrow thinking of the Modi government cannot reduce the huge contribution of ‘Jawahar of Hind’ towards India,” he added.
Responding to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s allegations that the Central government is trying to reduce the contributions made by the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that this displays the real face of intolerance.
In a tweet, Sarma in Hindi said, “This is the real face of intolerance. These people are so engrossed in the sycophancy of a family that they have even left Dhritarashtra behind! Devotees of one family get angry when someone talks about honouring all the Prime Ministers of India so far!”
Moreover, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Friday slammed Congress over its remarks on the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library as Prime Minister’s Museum and Library Society and said that its inability to accept that there are leaders beyond “one dynasty” is a classic example of “political indigestion”.
“Classic example of political indigestion- the inability to accept a simple fact that there are leaders beyond one dynasty who have served and built our nation. PM Sangrahalaya is an effort beyond politics and Congress lacks the vision to realise this,” Nadda tweeted.
In a series of tweets Nadda further said, “In PM Sangrahalaya, every PM has got respect. The section relating to Pandit Nehru hasn’t been altered.”
“On the contrary, its prestige has been enhanced. For a party which ruled India for over 50 years, their pettiness is really tragic. It’s also the reason people are rejecting them,” he further said.
BJP president further alleged that Congress’s aim and only contribution is to erase the legacies of all previous PMs.
“Congress’s approach to this issue is ironical considering their party’s only contribution is to erase the legacies of all previous PMs to ensure that only the legacy of one family survives,” Nadda tweeted.
Neeraj Shekhar, the son of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar also launched a scathing attack at Congress and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi respecting PM’s across party lines is making Congress agitated.
Reacting to Congress hitting out at the Centre over the decision to rename Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Neeraj Shekhar took to Twitter and said, “My father, former PM Chandra Shekhar Ji always worked for the national interest. He even worked with Congress but they NEVER looked beyond one dynasty. Now, when PM Narendra Modi honoured Prime Ministers across party lines, Congress is getting agitated. Horrible attitude.”
Meanwhile, Punjab leader of Opposition and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said that he condemns this as Pt Jawaharlal Nehru was not just a PM but a statesman.
“I condemn this… PM does not belong to one party. Pt Jawaharlal Nehru was not just a PM but a statesman. He was one of the biggest world leaders,” a Congress leader said.
“Nobody can stop them from renaming but what our national president (Mallikarjun Kharge) said is absolutely correct that it brings out the mindset of the Central Govt. They can’t tolerate anyone,” he added.
Slamming the Centre, senior leader and Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “Pettiness & Vengeance, thy name is Modi. For over 59 years Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) has been a global intellectual landmark and a treasure house of books & archives. It will henceforth be called Prime Ministers Museum and Society. What won’t Mr Modi do to distort, disparage and destroy the name & legacy of the architect of the Indian nation-state? A small, small man overburdened by his insecurities is the self-styled Vishwaguru.”
Moreover, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor reacted to the Centre’s decision to change the name of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) to Prime Minister’s Museum and said it could have been renamed as Nehru Memorial Prime Ministers’ Museum.
“Nehru Memorial Museum and Library is the original name, but now you are changing it into a museum of all Prime Ministers, it’s fine but you can still keep the name Nehru Memorial because he was the first and longest-serving Prime Minister,” Congress leader said.
“Why can’t we leave the past in the past and acknowledge what has happened and move on…the spirit of compromise seems to be missing, it is all about knocking things down…” he added.
However, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel also hit out at Centre’s decision on renaming of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society as Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society, and said they have a problem with the Gandhi-Nehru family.
“They should have opened something new. Is there a problem? They have a problem with the Gandhi-Nehru family. They stripped off Rahul Gandhi’s Parliamentarian status, they snatched away his bungalow. If he goes to the US as an ordinary man and says something, the entire BJP starts issuing statements,” CM Baghel said.
Speaking to ANI, Vice Chairman, Executive Council, NMMLA, A Surya Prakash said the passage of the resolution by the general body of this Society “is not a small step”.
“It is rather a very big step to reiterate our commitment to democracy and to acknowledge our national political leadership,” he said.
In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea of setting up a museum dedicated to all the prime ministers of India at the Teen Murti premises.
This project was approved by Executive Council, NMML in its 162nd meeting held in November 2016. The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was opened to the public on April 21 last year.
During the inauguration, despite having received an invitation from the government, no member of the Nehru-Gandhi family was present for the function. Three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi have served as Prime Ministers of the country.
The Culture Ministry release said that the Museum is a seamless blend which begins at the renovated and refurbished Nehru Museum building, “now completely updated with technologically advanced displays on the life and contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru”.
“Housed in a new building the museum then goes on to tell the story of how our Prime Ministers navigated the nation through various challenges and ensured the all-round progress of the country. It recognizes all the Prime Ministers, thereby democratizing the institutional memory,” the release said.
