'Centre Wants To Suppress Golden History Of India': Oppn's Sharp Attack Over Renaming Of Nehru Memorial

The opposition has lashed out at the Centre over renaming of Nehru Memorial Museum as PM Museum. They said that the government wants to suppress the 'golden history of India'.

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) is now Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society (PMML), a change that came into effect in August. However, the development has drawn a sharp attack from the opposition. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut lashed out at the Centre saying that they can change names but cannot create history like Pandit Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose among others. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Jairam Rames took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and said that the Prime Minister related N with a P and that 'P is really for pettiness and peeve'

"What else are they left with?...You may change the name of the building but you can't change the name of Pandit Nehru that is mentioned in history. You can't change the history created by Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Savarkar ji...You can't create a history like them so you are changing names," Raut said.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also attacked the Centre and said that changing the name is a 'disgrace for the Modi government', adding "Nehru Ji contributed so much to the freedom movement and helped in gaining Independence...Jawaharlal Nehru has drawn such a long line that he doesn't need your pity. His name is immortal."

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit called the step 'frustrated mindset' alleging that the Centre wants to 'suppress the golden history of India'.

"This is nothing else but a frustrated mindset. Pt Jawaharlal Nehru was the first PM. An institution was named after him and a museum was built to reflect his tenure...If you (Centre) had to make an institution on other PMs, you could have done it. But if you suppress or remove something, it means that your motive was never exhibition but an attempt to suppress the golden history of India..," Dikshit said.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Arjun Munda supported the decision saying the museum has been dedicated to all the PMs who served this nation. He added, "This country belongs to everyone. The country is not through a person but through a system and institution. This is a democracy...The PM is not a person but an institution."

Attacking Jairam Ramesh for his comment, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "There is a basic difference between the thinking of Congress party and Jairam Ramesh & PM Narendra Modi. They (Congress) think that only Nehru ji and family matters. Narendra Modi gave a respectful position to all the PMs of the country at the museum...Why did Lal Bahadur Shastri get no space there? There was neither Indira Gandhi nor Rajiv Gandhi there nor Morarji Desai or Chaudhary Charan Singh or Atal Bihari Vajpayee or IK Gujral or HD Deve Gowda...When all the PMs are getting a space, it is becoming Pradhanmantri Smriti Library..."

Reacting to the discontent of Congress leaders, A. Surya Prakash, Vice-Chairman, Executive Council, Prime Ministers Museum & Library said he requests all to come and check how the place has handled Nehru and his temples of modern India.

"...If you come now to the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), you will look at the Teen Murti Bhavan - how we have showcased Nehru, his temples of modern India, the Hirakud Dam, Nagarajuna Sagar Dam, his idea of setting up institutes of technology, Planning Commission - in the 17 years' tenure as the PM, the phenomenal work he did in various aspects of this nation's life, it is all showcased now. I would request anyone who has any doubts about how we have handled the whole Nehru question to come and take a look at the Museum today...," Prakash told ANI.

On changing of name on August 14, Prakash said, "That is just a coincidence. The first initiative to change the name was taken on 15th June when the General Body of the Society was called...Under the law if we want to change the name of a Society, the General Body has to meet twice after the gap of a month. So, it met again on 18th July and reiterated the change of name. Then, it went to Registrar of Societies. This is the process..."

He said that PM Modi felt that they must have a museum of PMs, adding the question arose where it could be located.

"The PM gave the responsibility to what was earlier known as Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML). The reason is that we have a 28-acre estate there...That is the ideal location because we already have Nehru Museum there and the idea was to showcase the work of all PMs of India. I think that was  great idea and he gave that responsibility to Nehru Memorial Museum and Library," he said.

He further added, "I think we are very privileged and honoured to take up that responsibility. So, this began some years ago. Last year, the PM inaugurated the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya where we have showcased the work of all PMs. Once the remit of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library changed, it got diversified. In a sense, it got democratised. Naturally, the name of the institution also had to reflect that new name and responsibility that the institution has."