Modi faces backlash after Nehru's name dropped from historic museum
What's the story
Congress leader Manish Tewari on Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre, saying, "Legacies don't get erased by renaming buildings."
His reaction came after the Indian Express reported that the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) will now be called the Prime Ministers' Museum and Society.
The decision was taken by the NMML society, whose chairman is PM Narendra Modi.
Criticism
Small man overburdened by insecurities: Congress's jibe at Modi
In a tweet, Tewari said, "I wish those who want to erase Jawaharlal Nehru's contribution to the freedom struggle and building of modern India would once read Discovery of India and Glimpses of World History to fathom the depth of Nehru."
Meanwhile, another Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh, called PM Modi "a small, small man overburdened by his insecurities, and is a self-styled vishwaguru."
Twitter Post
Check out Tewari's tweet
I wish those who want to erase Jawahar Lal Nehru’s contribution to freedom struggle & building of Modern India would once read Discovery of India & Glimpses of World History to fathom the depth of Nehru.
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) June 16, 2023
Legacies don’t get erased by renaming buildings.https://t.co/gFgCt1p2oT
Twitter Post
Here's Ramesh's Twitter post
Pettiness & Vengeance, thy name is Modi. For over 59 years Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) has been a global intellectual lamdmark and treasure house of books & archives. It will henceforth be called Prime Ministers Museum & Society. What won't Mr. Modi do to distort,…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 16, 2023
Details
Name drop decision presided over by Rajnath Singh
According to the Indian Express, the decision to remove Nehru's name from the museum was made during a special meeting of the NMML society on Thursday, which was presided over by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who is also the NMML society's vice-president.
The society has 29 members, which also include Union ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharmendra Pradhan, G Kishan Reddy, and Anurag Thakur.
Museum history
Museum was inaugurated on Nehru's 75th birth anniversary
The museum is part of Delhi's Teen Murti House complex, the official residence of Nehru for 16 years.
After his death on May 27, 1964, the government decided to dedicate the place to him and house a museum and a library.
On Nehru's 75th birth anniversary on November 14, 1964, the museum was inaugurated, and two years later, the NMML society was set up.
More information
Manmohan Singh raised concerns about new museum
In 2016, PM Modi suggested the idea of setting up a museum dedicated to all Indian prime ministers on the NMML premises.
On April 21, 2022, the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was built on the campus and was inaugurated by Modi amid backlash from the opposition.
Notably, former PM Manmohan Singh had also raised concerns about the BJP government's "agenda."