Centre Renames Nehru Museum, Congress Says 'Can't Remove Name From Heart of Indians'

Congress attacked PM Narendra Modi for the renaming of Nehru Memorial Museum and said that he can remove the name from the wall but not from hearts of 140 crore Indians.

Congress on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for renaming 'Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society' as 'Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society'. Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said that the Prime Minister can remove the name of Pandit Jawahar all Nehru from the wall but not from the 'hearts of 140 crore Indians'. The Government of India on Saturday resolved to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society.  

According to an official release of the Ministry of Culture, "In a special meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, it was resolved to change its name to Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society. The Special Meeting was presided over by  Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh who is the Vice-President of the Society." 

"Prime Minister Shri Modi had mooted the idea of setting up of a museum dedicated to all the Prime Ministers of India on Teen Murti Premises, New Delhi in 2016. The Executive Council, NMML had in its 162nd meeting held on 25-11-2016 approved the construction of the Museum of all Prime Ministers in the Teen Murti Estate. The project was completed and the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was opened to the public on 21st April 2022," the release added. 

Reacting to the development, Congress said that PM Modi cannot remove the name of India’s first Prime Minister from the hearts of Indians. Congress leader Gourav Vallabh said that the Nehru Library Society contained research material that people read to strengthen the spirit of democracy. 

"One man thought how can I keep Panditji’s name? But on the hearts of 140 crore Indians, Panditiji’s name is already there...all this makes you even smaller and Nehru’s name bigger,” Vallabh said in a veiled attack at PM Modi. 

He said that Nehru was the architect of modern India and the country that the world sees today was envisioned by Nehru in 1947. "He will be remembered as India’s architect for the coming 1000 years," he said. 

"He handled India when the country was incapable of making even a needle and made AIIMS, IITs, IIMs research institutions to the nation," the Congress leader said. 

Accusing PM Mod of disrespecting his predecessors, Vallabh said that he (Modi) wants to remove even the name of BJP stalwart and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 

"You want to remove the name of even Vajpayee ji. Because you say nothing happened before 2014 despite the 7 year rule of Atal ji," he added. 

Naming Congress PMs of the country, Vallabh said that the name of Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shashtri, PV Narsimha Rao are there in the hearts of Indians. 

He further said a PM listens to citizens’ ‘Mann ki baat’ and speaks about his ‘mann ki baat’," adding that to see where Nehru is, one has to move his neck (in the direction of the sky)."